Total Control
by Gerren
Summary: Everything is going great for this blonde so far; She's got a new jutsu, apprenticeship under Ibiki, and her father is letting her take over the clan! Yet when Konoha is secretly infiltrated and the jutsu is stolen, what do the Akatsuki want with a regular kunoichi like Ino? I don't own anything affiliated with Naruto!
1. Chapter 1

"Total Control Jutsu?" Ino asked aloud. She sat in the scroll room, small and plain. Dusty bookshelves were littered with various scrolls waiting to be read. Ino Yamanaka was not allowed to even think about the scroll room underneath the flower shop, but she felt that since she was the last heir to the Yamanaka clan, it was her duty to learn as much as possible to revive the Yamanaka name.

The blond beauty wrinkled her nose as she felt a sneeze coming on. She squeezed her ice blue eyes shut and attempted to keep the sneeze as quiet as possible. Though her father, Inoichi Yamanaka, was out on a mission, she still felt the need to be as stealthy as possible. She unraveled the scroll and feasted her eyes on the words.

'_Yamanaka Total Control Jutsu_

_Created By: Inoshiju Yamanaka_

_Date: 12th of January_

_Status: In the process of classification_

_Specification: Control of the mind, body, speech, thoughts, memories, and emotion from any distance within 10 miles_

_Steps: Perform hand seals Tiger, Ox, Boar, and Rooster to transfer consciousness and utilize thoughts, emotion, and memories. Use Rat, Dog, and Ox to gain access to the body, speech, and mind._

_Notes: This jutsu will drain chakra quickly. Use only as a last resort._

_Detailing: The Total Control jutsu was created during the First Shinobi World War. I, Inoshiju Yamanaka, am on the brink of one of the most useful techniques a Yamanaka can master. It all started when I was put up against Maruzuno Agatsuma from Sunagakure. Though he was the last of the Agatsuma clan, he was still a powerful foe. Agatsuma was skilled in the mind field as well which caused many of my techniques to be repelled. After both of us were low on chakra, I had to deliver the final blow: The Mind Body Disturbance technique. I had missed, seeing as I was at a disadvantage for being too far. It mattered not, he came charging and I found a way to slit his throat._

_The war had ended days later and I quickly busied myself with creating the perfect jutsu. A jutsu that is undefeatable, a jutsu that can be used anywhere at anytime: Total Control Jutsu. It took ages for me to combine the Mind Body Control, Mind Body Disturbance, and Mind Clone Switch technique into one. In fact, it took 5 months to successfully combine all three and do it correctly. That was, sadly, only half of the battle seeing as that only controlled the victim's will and body. I then had to find a way to get steady control of the memories, thoughts, and emotions. This also took a great deal of time, but by early January, I had finally done it. The Total Control Jutsu was finished._

_I had requested two of my teammates to assist me in testing the finished product. Chonoru Akimichi and Shikamazui Nara agreed whole heartedly. I called in a trusted advisor of the Hokage as a witness to view the whole thing. He calmy to the side, awaiting the whole thing. Testing took a good amount of time, seeing as I had to travel a far distance away from them to see my limit. I performed the first set of handseals and a varied version of the Mind Body Control was first. I sent a piece of my consciousness into Shikamazui without him aware. I then traveled about 9 and a half miles away from him. I concentrated a good portion of my chakra and found myself in his mind. I sifted through his memories, listened in on his thoughts, and felt his emotion of confusion. He had no idea what I had just done! I smiled inwardly and concentrated a little more on making him move. A simple movement was all it took, so I decided to make him walk. In order to 'see' where I was taking Shikamazui, I looked through his eyes and moved him towards Cinoru. Both were confused, but seeing as Samazui was under my control, his thoughts would never be spoken. Time to test the speech option. I had Shikamazui say Chonoru's name. We then held a small conversation, as if nothing had happened and as if I had merely disappeared._

_After 7 minutes of small talk I decided to go back to my two teammates, but I never dropped control of Samazui. I hid in the trees and released the jutsu. I could view Samazui's normal expression. Perfect. It was as if nothing had just occurred. I dropped down from the trees and confronted the two. Chonoru was amazed and Shikamazui seemed to be upset that he didn't even know what happened. I was very low on chakra by the end of this, but it will be worth it in the long run._

_The first part was over, now I just had to get the jutsu approved. It was Konoha law to send any new jutsu information in to the Hokage. Seeing as I already had the adviser as witness, I only have to wait for the Hokage to read the copy of this scroll. I am confident this will be passed._

_-Inoshiju Yamanaka'_

Ino attempted to wrap her mind around the information she had just read. Goosebumps began to rise and a chill made it's way down her spine. She sat dumbstruck.

"This... this is it!" She exclaimed, forgetting everything about stealth, "This is exactly what I need! A new jutsu to show off, a way to be a key member in battle, and," She stopped to do a little prayer for her sensei, "A way to finally beat Sakura in ninjitsu. I won't fail you, Asuma."

Ino rolled the scroll up neatly and gripped it tight. A determined look was upon her face as she stood. "First thing is first, I need to get permission from Tsunade to try this. Then after I master it, I can really have it reviewed! I can finally take over as clan head with a good reputation!"

The 18 year old exited the scroll room after putting everything back in place. Ino stopped by her room to change out of her lavender pajamas and into her normal shinobi uniform. She parted her bang over her right eye, took hold of a nearby hair tie and put the rest of her blonde locks up into a high pony tail. She felt no need to exit through the front door of the Yamanaka Flower Shop, so she leapt through a nearby window and onto the rooftops.

The Hokage's Tower was a mere 5 minutes away, and at the rate she was going, she made it in a minute. Ino jumped off of the rooftops and onto the ground near the entrance. When she walked inside, she looked for the first person who could set her up with Tsunade.

"Shizune!" Ino called. Shizune turned around, her black hair softly swaying.

"I need to speak to Tsunade immediately. Is she meeting with someone currently?" Ino asked.

"I don't believe she is... Normally I wouldn't do this for just anyone, but I suppose I could let you up without the hassle. Don't tell anyone though." Shizune whispered.

"Right, thanks!" A lavender blur was in front of the Hokage's door in seconds. Ino took the time to compose herself and get her words right. She swallowed and knocked on the door.

"Who's there?" Tsunade asked, a hint of irritation in her voice.

"It's Ino."

"Ah, come in then."

Ino did as she was told and opened the wooden door. She stood with her scroll behind her back, awaiting permission to speak.

"What do you need, kid? Another mission?" Tsunade asked in a bored tone. The older woman sat at her desk with her head propped up on her fist.

"Not right now, but I do have a question though."

"About your medical studies? Sakura can - "

"No, it has nothing to do with medicine or Sakura." Ino cut her off a little sharply. Tsunade narrowed her eyes in amusement.

"Well then?"

"I'm requesting permission to practice this jutsu." Ino moved up closer to Tsunade's desk and handed her the old scroll. Tsunade unraveled it and scanned her eyes over.

"This scroll... Where did you find it?" Tsunade asked, though she never took her eyes off of the scroll.

"In the scroll room at the shop."

"I'm only asking because when I first started as the Hokage, I was required to read up on every clan's jutsu. I never read of this one. Do you have your father's permission?" Tsunade looked up expectantly.

"No." Bold and confident was Ino's answer.

"Hm. Normally I would say for you to take it up with him, but seeing as Inoichi is on a mission, I'm giving you permission to practice this. Though you didn't have to ask for it; that law has been erased from the books ages ago."

"Really?" Ino asked relieved, "So I don't have to have you approve of its use? I just wanted to check because it is pretty... well, old."

"No. We got rid of it because during times of war, many clan heads came up with amazing jutsus but the acceptance process took too long. You may practice it, Ino. And when you master it, show me. This sounds promising."

Ino bowed gratefully. "Thank you, Tsunade."

"And if your father has any issue with you practicing it, tell him to come to me. The Yamanaka clan is dying out, Ino. Believe it or not, your clan is important to the village. We need your espionage and mind skills to gather information for us. Your father seems to forget that you are the next heir and you cannot be sheltered forever. I suppose I'll have to talk to him about that. Anyway, you are dismissed." Tsunade handed her the scroll and waved her off.

"Thank you." Ino said once more before she left the room. She inwardly squealed at the thought of mastering the Total Control Jutsu. As she made her way back to her home to get supplies, she contemplated who she should ask to train with.

_'Shino and Lee? Nah. Kiba and Hinata? I'm not sure if I could be Hinata's shy self. Naruto and Sai? Mmmm, Sai. No, I actually want to talk to Sai as Ino - not Naruto of all people. Sakura? Though we have a lot to catch up on, I want to master this before I rub it in her face.' Ino grinned at the thought. 'Ah hah! Tenten and Neji! I've been waiting for Neji to make his move but he's still his cold and stoic self. I could definitely ask them! But maybe I should get this jutsu down before I do that. Ah screw it. I'll just use Choji and Shikamaru.'_

Ino changed her course and headed toward the Nara clan's home. As she approached the woodland area of Konoha, she began to see deer popping up left and right. The girl was careful not to step on any of their droppings. She wrinkled her nose in disgust and made haste to get to the entrance.

"Shikamaruuuuu!" Ino called when she entered the home. There was no need for her to ask for permission, seeing as the Nara and Yamanaka clan have been allies for ages along with the Akimichi's. They were all practically family and they acted like it at any chance they got.

"Good morning, Ino. Shikamaru is around the back." Yoshino Nara stepped out as she wringed her hands with a towel.

"Thanks." Ino took a shortcut through the home and outside behind it. Sure enough, she saw Shikamaru staring lazily at the clouds in the grass. An equally lazy deer lay next to him as if it were asleep.

"There you are! I need you to train with me." Ino sat down comfortably next to him.

Shikamaru sucked his teeth, "Troublesome woman, it's my day off."

Ino frowned a bit, "I can see that, but I'm in serious need of two people to help me with this new jutsu and you and Choji are it!"

"So we're basically guinea pigs?"

"Duh," Ino rolled her eyes good naturedly, "For a genius, you are pretty dumb."

"No." Came Shikamaru's short reply.

"What do you mean no?!" Ino yelled, flailing her arms irritatedly.

"Keep your voice down, you'll wake up Denotsu." Shikamaru glanced at the deer on his right.

"You and that deer are both so lazy! Get up and let's go! You are NOT lazing around all day, Shikamaru Nara!" Ino stood up and put both of her hands on her hips.

"Tch. You sound like my mother." Shikamaru remarked.

"WHAT WAS THAT?" Came the angry reply of both of the two most important women in his life.

Shikamaru sighed and muttered something about being troublesome. He stood up and dusted himself off. "Nothing, lets go Ino."

The two made their way to the Akimichi compound. The 7 minute trip was silent, seeing as Ino told Shikamaru that she would explain everything when Choji was with them.

"Yamanaka! Nara!" Choza said when the two entered the compound. He wrapped them up in a bear hug and dropped them. "Looking for Choji?"

Ino nodded her head and smiled.

"Choji! Your friends are here for you!" Choza called. His voice boomed as it echoed throughout the compound. "So, you guys are heading out to train I presume?"

Ino nodded politely and spoke up, "I need Shikamaru and Choji to help me test my new jutsu."

"Good job, you three. Always keeping up with the competition." Choza said as Choji emerged from the kitchen with a bag of chips.

"Hey guys." He waved.

"Choji." Shikamaru gave a small nod.

"Put the chips down and lets go!" Ino demanded as she lead the group to Team 10's training grounds.

"No way! I'll just eat it now." Choji said while he opened up the bag, keeping up with his other two teammates.

Minutes later, they reached the training area. Shikamaru and Choji moved closer to Ino, waiting for her to begin.

"Okay, so here's the story: I was reading a bunch of old scrolls at home and I found one that piked my interest." Ino removed the scroll from a pouch around her leg. "It's this: The Yamanaka Total Control Jutsu."

"What does it do?" Choji asked before he slipped a barbecue chip into his mouth.

"Long story short, it basically gives me control of a person from a 10 mile radius."

"Isn't that the same thing as the Mind Body Disturbance?" Shikamaru deadpanned.

"Well... No, but they are alike! Just listen, okay!" Ino yelled as she shook her fist. "Anyway, with the Mind Body Disturbance, you don't have control over their thoughts and feelings. Not only that, but you aren't able to access their memory unless you drop that jutsu and perform the Mind Reading jutsu. With the Total Control, I'd be able to do _everything_ with that person at once. It'd be like I was really them. I won't have to follow their movements and Shikamaru won't have to watch my body. It's just a matter of multitasking, that's all."

"So you're going to defend yourself AND control others? You're not a super shinobi, Ino." Shikamaru's tone was laced with doubt.

"I'm a Yamanka, Shikamaru. It's not like I'm not able to do multiple things in my mind at once."

"Oh please, Ino. Be realistic now. What if you're fighting off a shinobi stronger than you? You'd be too focused on getting them out the way that you won't even have time to control someone else. Your skills are good, but not that good."

"Are you just trying to piss me off today, Shikamaru? I called you here to be supportive and to help me, not to bring me down. I've had enough of that already."

He clenched his fists and narrowed his eyes, feeling his own personal thoughts from failed missions leak out. "So you're only doing this to say you've got a new jutsu? Is this not about truly bettering yourself? Being a ninja isn't always competition! You can't go showing off and expect not to get someone hurt! Quit being troublesome and accept that!"

"I am! And it is for self bettering. I've already got great chakra control thanks to medical ninjutsu and I'm used to doing multiple things at once. Trust me, it's no problem what so ever. So just quit doubting me for one damn second!"

"ALRIGHT, alright." Choji felt as if this had gone on long enough. "Shikamaru just calm down, okay? You too, Ino. We're here to support each other. Put aside your differences for now and lets get this over with."

The blonde and the jonin looked up at their smiling friend.

"I suppose."

"Hn."

"Okay, so who're you testing this out on, Ino?" Choji asked as he made himself comfortable on the grass.

"Well I've gotta go over the hand signs first. Give me a second..." Ino trailed off while reading over the scroll. "Okay! I'm going to try to access Shikamaru's feelings, thoughts, and mind first."

"Why me?" Said person asked.

"Because you wanted to doubt me, so now I'll prove myself! Anyway, lets start." Ino went over the hand signs slowly. She apologized for messing up the first three times, and continued. "Great! I think I've got it now! Tiger, Ox, Boar, Rooster!"

Shikamaru stood lazily as if nothing had occurred.

"Did you miss, Ino?" Choji questioned.

"Nope! I hit him spot on."

"What? I didn't even feel anything. Are you sure?" Shikamaru asked skeptically.

"Yeah. As we speak, I know exactly how you feel."

"Really? How do I feel then?" Shikamaru wasn't buying this. He casually laid back in the grass.

"Welllll... Right now, you feel doubt. You think that I won't be correct either, and now you see that I am. As for your memories... You and Temari had some fun last weekend, didn't you?" Ino gave a triumphant smirk.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah..." Shikamaru drawled out, containing a rising blush, "Get to the next part."

"Alright!" Ino performed Rat, Dog, and Ox. She concentrated and attempted to make her guinea pig walk. Shikamaru took three steps forward. He showed no signs of protest but inwardly, he was shocked.

"I told you it wouldn't work, Ino." Shikamaru said in his naturally lazy tone. He stood slouched with hands in his pockets.

"It's okay, Ino. We can try again later." Choji suggested.

"Oh it's okay Choji!" Ino smiled brightly.

"But I thought you missed the second half?"

"Nah. I just had to test out the speech portion. I wanted to see if you'd believe me."

"W-wait. What happened to Shikamaru then?" Choji asked, a little wide eyed.

"Don't worry about him. He's fine." Ino glanced at her test subject. "It's nice to know that this works though! Release!"

All eyes turned to Shikamaru, watching him blink in a surprised manner and straighten up.

"Is this how you feel... in my Shadow Control?" He asked hesitantly.

"The no control over your movements part? Yeah." Ino stated with a triumphant smirk.

"Woah! That's so cool!" Choji grinned.

"Thanks, Cho!" Ino turned to Shikamaru. "Well?"

"Well what?"

"Aren't you gonna say how great that was? Be honest."

"It was... good." Shikamaru shrugged and turned around.

"Good?! All you have to say is 'good'?!" Ino stood up, daring him to challenge her.

"Troublesome... What more do you want?"

"How about a 'That was awesome, Ino!'" The blonde attempted to do her best interpretation of him.

Shikamaru didn't feel like arguing this time around. "Fine. That was awesome, Ino. Happy?" He turned and met her gaze.

"Whatever. There are a few mistakes... I need to pour a bit more chakra in and concentrate better." Ino assessed. "But anyway, you guys can go now! Thanks!"

"Wait, don't you guys want to get some barbecue? It's been a while since we've all... y'know, hung out together." Choji suggested sheepishly.

"Sorry, Choji, but I've gotta get to the hospital for 1:30." The kunoichi stood, dusted herself off, and made her way to the hospital. She looked over her shoulder and called, "I'm really sorry, maybe next time?"

"Yeah, Tsunade's having a meeting with some of the jonin and I've gotta be there. Later, buddy." Shikamaru gave a small wave at his large friend.

"I guess..." Choji trailed off disappointed. He stood up and left Team Ten's training grounds - or at least what was left of Team Ten.

* * *

**AN:** **Okay hopefully this wasn't as bad as I think. lol. There may be a few holes in this fic and it's jutsus seeing as I haven't been keeping up with the canon lately. Hopefully no one is OOC either. Thanks for reading, I'll attempt to update as often as possible! ^.^**


	2. Chapter 2

**I don't own Naruto. :( Sucks right? I know.**

* * *

The Konohagakure Hospital was a complete and utter MESS. Ino had been there for about 5 hours now, working on various shinobi who needed immediate medical attention from the mission they just returned from. Sweat ran down her brow and gold pieces of hair hung loosely from the messy bun she placed upon her head. Ino's ice blue eyes were narrowed with concentration and determination. Her hands moved about on a kunoichi's body, looking for any other traces of poison in her system.

"Sakura, she's all clear." She announced.

"Alright." The pinkette responded. Tsunade had Sakura and Ino working together on poisoned patients. Ino would check for poison and remove it, and Sakura would heal any other injuries they had. If Sakura healed someone with poison still in their system, the poison would spread faster and that'd be fatal.

Sakura sat on the left side of the injured kunoichi, adjacent from Ino.

"I'm running low on Chakra. Ino, do you have enough to spare?" Though Sakura's reserves were large from her training, there had been so many patients in one day that it took a lot out of her.

"I am too. I'm not sure how much I can give without it being too little for myself. Just hang in there, we leave in about 10 minutes." Ino gave a reassuring smile.

"True, and her injuries should only take about 5 minutes to heal." Sakura got to work. Occasionally, she would ask Ino to hand her some water and check the patients heart levels.

"Done." Sakura huffed loudly after finishing up. She stood tiredly and began to head to the employees restroom. "Ready, Ino?"

"Yeah, let me just tell Yuujo to wheel her to the recovery wing."

"Alright." Sakura was left to her thoughts.  
_'I wonder if Naruto's free to train later... I'm in need of night training. Crap, what am I gonna eat for dinner? I am not having ramen at Ichiraku's!'_

Ino joined her momentarily. Silence was in the air as they both strolled through Konoha Hospital towards the restrooms. Once they reached their destination, the two kunoichi washed their hands and fixed their hair.

"What're you doing after this?" Ino made small talk with the pinkette.

"Nothing really, I might train with Naruto." Sakura responded while tightening her headband.

"Oh. Night training? It's getting a little dark out."

"Yeah." Sakura sighed and did a once over in the mirror. "Well, see you later Ino."

Ino's eyes followed Sakura's fleeting figure. Lately the two hadn't been interacting as much outside of work, and it was hard to catch up with an old friend/rival when you're trying to save lives. She responded with a mumbled 'later.' Ino's mind was too focused on the thought of her new jutsu. She knew that it worked, but what she lacked was enough focus and chakra to pour in. Expanding her chakra reserves would take a while, but it'd be worth it. The focus wasn't much of an issue - her father could assist her with that. Ino leaned on the bathroom counter and stared into the mirror. She smirked as she thought of her next agenda:

Gain Ibiki's mentoring.

Granted, she was training under Tsunade along with Sakura. Being the Hokage's apprentice doesn't just fall into your lap. She recalled how much she had to prove herself to be deemed worthy. With Ibiki it would be the same. Heck, she'd probably have a better advantage over the others due to her father working under Morino. The only downfall was that Ibiki was 10x more strict than Tsunade. Not only that, but he was dubbed the Sadist of Konoha! Would he let her in that easily?

Ino looked at a nearby clock on the bathroom walls.  
_'6:22. I could run over now and see if he's there... Hmm... It wouldn't hurt.'_ The blonde kunoichi swiftly departed from the hospital and went straight for the Konoha Intelligence Division HQ. It was a plain grey two story tower with an underground holding facility. Several ANBU surrounded the complex looking out for trouble.

One ANBU with a duck mask stopped Ino as she approached the entrance.  
"Your name, Miss?" The voice was deep and smooth, obviously male.

"Ino Yamanaka." The blonde stood straight and looked the ANBU in the eye, or atleast what she thought was the eye.

"What is your reason for visit?"

"I need to speak to Ibiki."

"For what reason?"

"Apprenticeship." Came the simple yet confident response.

The ANBU eyed the girl warily. Many Konoha ninja came to Ibiki to train under him and none of them had ever stood a chance. This kunoichi looked no different. But the fact that she was a Yamanaka would get her far enough.

"Conceal your chakra and follow me." He led her through the doors and down a long, deserted hallway. A series of turns and twists were made to keep non-Konoha shinobi from memorizing the place.

_'Hm. This building is a lot bigger than it seems.'_ Ino thought to herself. They had been walking for a full 5 minutes now, and all the circles that they went through had began to make her dizzy. Finally they reached their destination: A door with a 'Morino Ibiki' nameplate at the top.

"Come in." A voice said from the other side. Ino visibly raised an eyebrow. How had Ibiki known someone was outside? ANBU always had to hide their chakra and Ino did the same.

The ANBU opened the large door and allowed Ino to step inside first. Ibiki sat behind a large black desk in an empty white room. The only 'decor' were two chrome chairs in front of Ibiki's desk and silver bookshelves that held various folders and scrolls.

"Miss Yamanaka. Have a seat." the head of the division ordered. Ino was hesitant at first, but if she wanted to learn his ways, that had to go. She confidently strode from the door and sat comfortably in her seat. The ANBU member smirked behind his mask and departed.

"Your reason for coming here?" Ibiki asked with his hands folded on his desk.

"A request for apprenticeship." Ino responded.

Ibiki's face held no emotion. Minutes passed as Ibiki stared straight into Ino's icy eyes. She felt the need to avert her gaze but she did not.

"Why?" He asked simply. It had been so silent for so long that his voice startled Ino.

"No other path in my Shinobi life interests me, and the skills I could learn in this department will be very beneficial to myself and Konoha. My mind strength as a Yamanaka is sure to help superbly when learning your tactics. Not only that, but it can also allow me to add on too. I feel -"

"What makes you think I should choose you? Because you're Inoichi's daughter?" Ibiki was being blunt as he cut her off. His eyes narrowed minutely. She was confident. Not many applicants that came in had showed such. They were usually intimidated and some never even made it past the door. "I have no tolerance for anyone to come here and play games, Miss Yamanaka. I can see straight through any nonsense you try to pull. I simply do not have the time to waste on foolish little shinobi who are weak. If you're not serious about this, get out."

Ino tensed as he spoke to her. If he was anyone else, she would've yelled right back at him and clobbered him in the head. But Ino knew that he was her superior and respect was the only way to go. However, she did allow herself to raise a thin eyebrow and smallen her eyes.

"I am very serious, sir. I'm here to help Konoha and to help myself. Trust me, I wouldn't be here to waste anyone's time - not even my own. If you do not deem me worthy enough to learn under you, than just say so. I will leave with no hostility towards you." Ino responded calmly.

"Trust is something earned, not given Yamanaka. It'd be in your best interest to remember such." Ibiki leaned back in his chair. "I will allow you to train under my teaching. Just be aware that I will still determine whether or not you are here for a free ride."

Ino grinned at this. She inwardly screamed and did a happy dance.

"However," Ibiki began, stopping Ino's happiness, "There is a lot of work for you to complete. If you aren't ready for work, go. My teaching strategy is not such as the academy or the Hokage's. Work comes to you in piles and piles. That includes paperwork, chakra training, and learning new jutsus." He opened a cabinet in his desk, revealing a contract of some sort.

"This here is an agreement that you must sign. Go home and read all 5 pages of this. If you find any of these rules and terms unfair, do not return here. Am I understood, Yamanaka? No rules will be bent."

"Yes sir. Thank you for the opportunity. Oh, and if it's any interest to you, which I'm sure it's not, I'm working on a new jutsu," She held out a copy of the Total Control for him to take hold of, "I'm just giving it to you just in case you want to know what I've got planned as well. And perhaps you could help me out a bit?" She smiled genuinely and took the stack he had for her, holding it securely in her hands.

He nodded, "You are dismissed." She stood and deeply bowed.

The duck ANBU that lead her to Ibiki was waiting on the other side of the door. Before Ino could reach the handle, the door swung open.

"This way." The ANBU spoke calmly.

Ino gave a small nod and followed. This time she decided to attempt to memorize the turns she had to make. If she was going to work here, she'd have to know how to get around. Attempting to memorize, though, proved futile. It seems that when they were leaving, the Anbu had taken her through a completely different route.

"What the hell..." Ino muttered under her breath.

"Protocol." Her accomplice said, picking up on her words.

She blushed, realizing that she didn't want to voice her thoughts aloud. She left silently, flipping through the contract papers as she took a slow walk back to the shop.

"Ino!" A voice stirred her out of her thoughts.

"Gah! Naruto, you idiot! You scared me!" Ino aimed a fist at the blonde.

Naruto quickly dodged and held his hands up as if innocent. "Geez, Ino! I only wanted to ask you a question!" Naruto defended.

"Well get on with it!" Ino snapped impatiently.

Naruto chuckled. "Ino you haven't changed a bit."

"IS THAT SUPPOSED TO BE AN INSULT!?"

"N-no! I just want you to stay the same, that's all. Konoha needs more than one loud blonde, rather than just me." Naruto explained.

"I wouldn't change for anyone." Ino set her light blue eyes on his deep ocean blues.

"Good," Naruto shot her a grin, "Wanna get some ramen with me? Sakura said no because she doesn't, "Want a full stomach hindering my training tonight."" A mocking tone that sounded high pitched and annoying took over his voice.

"Well..." Ino thought it over for a bit: She had given up her dieting phase two years ago after a crush told her he'd rather be seen with a healthy looking woman than a bag of bones, but she really wanted to finish reading over Ibiki's packet and practicing the Total Control. "It couldn't hurt so... sure." She finally responded with a small smile.

"Alright!" Naruto pumped a fist into the air and dragged her towards Ichiraku's, despite her protests.

* * *

**AN: Second chapter~ I hope that Ino's request to train under Ibiki wasn't too... I don't know, easy? It may seem like he needed to be harder on her to fit his character, but then I thought that she ****_is _****his fellow teammate's daughter ****_and _****she's the Hokage's apprentice as well. lolol. I don't know maaan. I'll patch up holes later.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Well. I still don't own Naruto.**

* * *

Naruto slurped down his fifth bowl of ramen before looking over at Ino, who had just finished her first and most likely last.

"So Ino, what've you been up to?" Naruto asked in between chews.

Ino scrunched her nose in disgust, avoiding his mouth, and answering his question. "Nothing really... practicing a new jutsu... taking up new apprenticeship... the regular."

"The regular?! You've got a new jutsu! Who are you interning under now?" Naruto was truly curious.

"Ibiki."

"WHAT?!" Naruto asked incredulously.

"You heard me. I'm training under Morino Ibiki now." Ino smiled triumphantly at the pride that swelled in her. How many people get to train underneath Ibiki?!

Naruto ordered a sixth bowl and turned to Ino, "How'd you get to do that? You have to take a test or somethin'?"

Ino shrugged. "Honestly, I thought I'd have to end up doing something like that... Who knows, I'll probably end up having to later on. Anyway, I basically just walked into his office and told him why I wanted to be his apprentice."

"And he said yes? No questions asked?"

"Not really... At first he didn't believe that I was serious, but he accepted anyway - as long as I don't screw up." Ino admitted with a sheepish laugh.

"Wow, that's pretty cool, Ino. I'm proud of you!" Naruto grinned and pat his friend on the back.

A faint blush covered Ino's cheek from the praise and she allowed a smile to grace her lips. She watched as he downed his sixth bowl and decided to change the subject. "Enough about me, what have you been up to?"

"Eh nothing much... But did you hear? Grandma Tsunade is going to announce her successor in two days!" A wide grin hit his features.

"Really?" Ino raised an eyebrow. Hopefully she wasn't the last to find out.

"Yeah! But believe it or not," Naruto shifted his eyes comically and leaned in, "I'm a little nervous."

"You? Naruto Uzumaki, nervous? HAH. That's a good one!" Ino let out a loud chuckle. Naruto frowned a little, causing Ino to stop and look at him seriously.

"You're... not joking?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It's just that, what if my dream to become Hokage never comes true? What if she chooses someone smarter than me, like Shikamaru?" His worried tone made her upset.

"Naruto, you've made huge accomplishments that Shikamaru could only dream of! He may be a genius, but do you know how lazy he is?" Ino rolled her eyes.

"I'm just worried... I don't want to be a failure, going back to dead last..." Naruto trailed off. Lately, nightmares have plagued his mind. Each reminded him of the days where he couldn't simply walk through the streets of Konoha without some form of abuse. He felt each hit, whether it be physically or verbally, that they threw at him. It caused him to awake in a cold sweat, arms habitually up in defense and eyes terrified.

Ino looked at him with a worried glance. Though she and Naruto weren't the closest of friends, she had no issue with listening to his problems. She decided that this odd behavior of his didn't suit him at all, so she steeled her gaze and snapped, "Cut it out, Naruto! You've proven yourself multiple times to this village! If they can't see it, then they're all blind and they don't deserve the sacrifices you give! You're not dead last and you never have been. Just go back to being happy and obnoxious, alright? I don't like this mood on you... It's weird."

Naruto looked at Ino, a shocked expression covering his face. Slowly, a determined look set in his eyes and a large grin took place.

"YOU'RE RIGHT, INO!" He bellowed from his seat.

"I am? I mean, OF COURSE I AM!" Ino went along with it, jumping up and all. This Naruto was better than mopey Naruto, and she'd even make herself look foolish too if that meant making her friends feel better.

"I need training! Sakura should be in the fields soon. I'll pay for all of this, Ino." He set his ocean blue eyes on her icy ones.

"Of course you were going to pay, Naruto! I am a lady, of course!" Ino huffed in a joking manner.

"You are? With those arms, I could've mistaken you for a man!"

A loud slap rang out into the air.

"Damn, Ino! I wasn't serious!" Naruto pouted.

"I know." Ino grinned, took her papers, and began to head for home.

"Thanks, Naruto!" She called from behind her.

"No problem!" Came the response.

Ino smiled at the events of her day, happily strolling through Konoha while humming a light and airy tune. Everything seemed to be going great, and she'd do anything to keep it that way.

* * *

**Personally, I'm not too happy about this Chapter, but it's whatever. lol. Just a short convo between Naruto and Ino, though in the next chapter, she and her father will converse about some serious matters as well. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Never owned Naruto, never will.**

* * *

She reached the place she called home no later than 8:05 at night. Walking through the door, she was instantly greeted with the sweet smell of jasmine. In the kitchen, her father was seen making rice.

"Jasmine rice, I presume?" Ino poked her head through the kitchen's entrance.

"Just for dinner tonight. Jasmine isn't really too popular this time of the season, so I suppose using a couple petals wouldn't hurt. How was today?"

"It was great, actually. I got most of the things I wanted done out of the way." Ino smiled lightly.

The older blonde placed to bowls of sticky rice on the table. "I heard. The Hokage called me to the office before you came home."

"Did she?"

He sighed nodded in response. "Sit down, Ino."

His daughter furrowed her blonde brows a bit, but followed nevertheless.

"I know the Yamanaka clan is dying out, Ino," He took a slightly shaky breath, "Hell... ever since your Uncle Santa's passed, well, things have been strained."

Ino knew this talk was coming, Tsunade had practically warned her about it earlier, yet she didn't expect for it to be this... emotional. It was as if her father was growing more tense with each word. She snapped to attention once she heard his voice resume.

"Let's face it together, shall we? I'll be blunt, just as most Yamanaka's are. There are only two Yamanaka's left in the whole land, Ino. And unless, somehow, there's some secret Yamanaka running around that we don't know about, there's only me and you in the whole world. We've never inhabited any other place, so those options are out of the way." Inoichi rubbed his eyes irritably.

"What're you saying?" Ino gazed on.

"What I'm saying is that, it's time for me to let go, and for you to most importantly, move on. You're 18 years old and most clan heirs already have a set game plan for what's going to happen. We have to get things done now, Ino. I could lose my life any day with all these missions Tsunade's been sending me on. Each one grows more dangerous by the minute with all these big time rebel groups breaking out.

"Basically, I'm going to teach you all I know and more. You're going to master these jutsus, you will learn all of the clan secrets, and even things of other clans, whether they reside in this village or not."

Ino swallowed a nervous lump in her throat. This was her time, this was it! She would finally be in official training as the Yamanaka clan heiress! But why did she feel so... anxious? Guilty? Scared? Terrified. That was it. Ino was terrified and she didn't know why. Was it the responsibility? Was it the coming stress?What?

Her father implored, "After you learn everything there is to know about the village as well, you can..." he shut his eyes momentarily, "Seek out a suitor."

Ino's eyebrows shot up.

"Mind you, Ino, it's different from the small time boyfriends you've had, okay?" He took on a strangely stern tone, "It's serious. This is the man that you will be bonded with until the end. No matter how many papers Tsunade stamps with the word 'Separated' on it, as long as you bear his child, you will never be truly apart from him. So when I tell you to seriously consider candidates, you better do it. I'm not the one who will be angry, Ino. It will be you in the end, because you could end up in something you might not be able to get out of. Do you understand me? No screw ups."

"I understand, daddy."

"Things will definitely be... different. Most clan heirs are usually the son, but fortunately with more laws against discrimination of kunoichi, you can take on the title. Let me just warn you now, dear: A young, intelligent, beautiful, and strong kunoichi like you searching for your future mate will throw you into multiple trials and tribulations. These young male shinobi are nothing like you dream of. They will take advantage of you, Ino. You hear? They'll take everything they can and shove you aside so that they'll be the clan leader. You're a female heiress and a future kunoichi clan leader. You will be challenged by a suitor who thinks that they can surpass you.

"You have to assert yourself, Ino. Don't let any of these fools take control of you," He chuckled slightly, "But I don't know why I'm lecturing you of all people about this, you've always been the one in the academy and on Team 10 to show who's in charge."

Ino grinned at her father's praise, hopping up to hug him, assuring him with a warm, "I won't let you down."

"I know you won't, dear. Now, let's eat our dinner!"

* * *

**That's right, Ino's movin' right along up on the ladder.**


	5. Chapter 5

Ino huffed as she fixed her hair back into a neat pony tail. She had just finished training on Team 10's camp grounds. The sky was black with night and the stars were dim.

As she began to pack up her fallen kunai, she felt a presence. Not wanting the intruder to know she was aware of them, she continued as if she had noticed nothing. The atmosphere grew thick as she felt them approaching and she quickly flung the kunai in her hand behind her. It embedded itself square in the middle of a tree.

"Show yourself!" She called out into the night, eyes scanning the area. Never did she let her guard down, but she was still surprised when an ANBU had dropped from the sky and assaulted her with a series of hits and kicks.

Now, taijutsu had never been her strong point, but this was an ANBU member she was dealing with - any mistake could be her last. She gracefully bent back in a way that should be inhuman and sharply flung a leg up onto her attackers chin. They stumbled back, but not before they unleashed an on slaught of kunai. Gasping quietly, Ino attempted to dodge each one. She was mostly successful, despite the two that her caused tears in her clothing and light cuts on her skin. That irritated her further as she caught a couple that were meant to harm her and threw them back. The ANBU simply let them fall behind them as they rushed at her again, a chakra laden fist aimed for her jaw. Ino had seen the fist coming, but what she had not expected was for the ANBU to know her next move and aim that same fist for her stomach.

She was sent flying back and into a thick tree. She was hunched over in pain, droplets blood dripping from her mouth and the contents of her lunch and dinner on the grass.

"J-Just what the hell is going on here?" She demanded as she quickly sliced the ANBU with a barrage of non poisoned senbon.

"A test."

Such a simple answer from the ANBU in which she now thought was a male from his voice. "A test for what?"

"I'll go easy on you."

"What the hell? Did I do something wrong?!" She choked out as she attempted to dodge every punch and kick aimed her way.

She never got an answer as she landed a hit on the ANBU's chest. He stumbled lightly, but turned it into a backflip as he grabbed her arm and flipped her onto the ground with a loud thud. She nimbly swept her legs underneath him, tripping him up a bit. It wasn't much, but it was enough for her to swing herself upwards and elbow them in the back and gain some ground.

"Good."

Ino growled as she could hear the smirk in his voice, getting ready to unleash a jutsu when the attacker had grabbed both her hands and came dangerously close to her face. Fear gripped her at the quick movement - one moment she was a good distance away and in the blink of an eye the ANBU had rendered her arms useless. Her wide blue eyes stared into the mask of a grey wolf and she could barely speak. Goosebumps rose and chills ran down her spine.

"No jutsus. Chakra? Yes." The ANBU stated sternly. His voice was familiar, was this the guard from the building? He noticed her lack of speech and he grinned under his mask, "What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?"

This simple goad snapped Ino out of her terrified trance and she headbutt him hard, freeing her arms and stretching her body in a way that was of a contortionist. She unleashed a barrage of shuriken and kunai from near by, hoping to at least knock him down once.

He chuckled quietly as he caught them all in quick movements, flinging them back at her as if they were feathers.

"What the hell?! I thought you were going easy on me! Bastard!"

"I am," He said as he rushed at her. Ino poured chakra into her feet as she braced herself for impact, ready to take him full on. He threw a series of senbon and Ino bent so far back that she was sure her spine was ready to break. She barely had time to come back up as a punch to the cheek, thank goodness not filled with chakra, was thrown.

She was still planted firmly on the ground though, holding her face and grinding out, "Who the hell sent you?"

"Heal yourself first,"

She was thoroughly angry at this point, as she backflipped meters away, and used the same chakra in her feet to rush towards him like a speeding bullet. The ANBU was expecting a simple kick or punch, but he had underestimated her when she flipped up into the air and came down upon him with immense pressure on his shoulders. Thankful for fast reflex, he saved himself major injury by throwing her off of him. Ino wasn't done yet, taking out her Tanto and pointing it straight at his mask.

"You've got me."

"No I don't! Come on, give me all you've got!" Ino yelled sharply, never letting her weapon down.

"No. Heal yourself."

"Stop it! Don't underestimate me! I want a real fight!"

"As you wish," The words were like whispers in the wind as Ino found herself high in the air and falling back to ground face first at a rapid pace. She attempted to think of a plan, but that was futile as she felt a kick to her back causing her to fall even faster. She braced herself for impact but it never came. What came in it's place, however, was a knee to the stomach from below that sent her back into the sky. An assault of various attacks consisting of kicks and punches rained down on her. It was over when she was sprawled out on the ground, cuts and bruises marring her body. Her hair was dirty and messy and her clothes were torn in various places. She didn't dare move a muscle, too much pain consumed her to even make a sound.

"Stubborn girl," The ANBU chastised, walking over, "I told you no the first time. I allowed you ample opportunity to heal yourself, yet you were too confident in abilities that were never there in the first place. You are weak, and such a big headed attitude like that makes you even more useless than you were before."

The blonde could only thank God that her face was down in the grass - she didn't want her tears of embarrassment to be seen.

"I know you're crying, we ANBU have heightened hearing, I can hear your gasps for air. Sit up, let me help you."

"No!" Ino shrieked as she rose from the ground, crawling away from him. "Y-you caused this! You did this to me! How could you help m-me?!"

"There you go again, stubborn," He continued calmly, not phased by her cries, "You possess so much talent, yet never allow anyone to help you hone it. Anytime someone offers a hand, you shrink back from it and think everyone pities you and thinks you are weak. If that's how you truly feel, fine. You are weak."

"I don't need you to tell me that, I already know. I'm reminded constantly, always being in someone else's shadow." Ino snapped quietly, looking down at the ground while healing her injuries.

"That's not what Ibiki thinks."

Who knew such simple words could cause her to look up so fast, "What?"

"Though he may not have shown it from your meeting with him today, he feels as if you are different. You stand out. He told me so himself."

"You're lying."

"Doubt if you will, but such low confidence will get you no where in the Intelligence Division."

"Here..." Ino said standing up, "Let me heal you."

"That will not be necessary, miss. I am perfectly fine," He bowed gracefully, "I am your mentor."

"My mentor? I thought that was supposed to be Ibiki..."

"You misunderstand. I will train you, keep guard of you, help you, teach you, test you. All of this that I will do is the preliminaries of your apprenticeship. At the end of the month, I report back to Ibiki with a simple word on how you've done."

"A simple word?"

He nodded, "It is either 'Yes' or 'No.'"

"So it's not detailed?! Anyone could get in!" Ino exclaimed.

He shook his head, "Lies. Ibiki trusts my judgement to the fullest. I have never let him down when it comes to anyone in the Intelligence Division, and I won't start today either."

"What's your name? How old are you? Why are you so trusted? Are you that old that you've been around to let everyone in?"

"Grey Wolf. Not important. I worked for it. No, there were those before me who had such job and I was simply the next in line to take up the mantle."

Ino rolled her eyes, walking over relaxed. "I didn't want your ANBU name, I wanted your real name. If we're going to be together for a month, I want to know you."

"I'm afraid I cannot disclose such information, miss. My apologies."

"Are you someone I know at least?" Ino looked up with hopeful eyes.

"No, I have not attended academy with you, but I have always resided in Konoha, miss."

Stretching her arms out, Ino could only get over the fight and be as friendly as she normally was,"Quit calling me Miss, it makes me sound old. It's Ino. Ino Yamanaka. Got it? Now I've got to go, I have a long day tomorrow. Bye, Grey."

"Grey?"

"A nickname. Goodnight." Ino waved as she walked off, mind on the shower she was anticipating and obviously letting any tension go.

He could only sigh as he too disappeared. Why was he the one to be stuck with the bipolar blonde girl?


	6. Chapter 6

**I don't own Naruto!**

* * *

Ino smiled in her half asleep state, feeling the rays of the sun radiate through her thin purple curtains and onto her exposed skin. The blankets weren't even needed last night, it was too humid for a thick comforter. Rarely did Ino sleep in her underwear, but seeing as how hot it was, she could adjust.

Sliding into a cat-like stretch, she let out a loud yawn and sat up straight. Her golden locks weren't bound into a pony tail as usual. It was freely spread upon her shoulders and down her back, her usual bang pushed back into the mess.

She heard a tap on her window and quickly dove for her kunai under a pillow, "Who is it?"

"It's me and Naruto, open up." A distinctly lazy voice called.

"Shika, why didn't you two just come through the front? And hold on," She rolled her eyes while slipping on a thin purple robe. She padded over to her window, pushed aside the curtains, and let them in.

"Just waking up?" Naruto teased, noticing her slightly tangled hair.

"Shutup you," She retorted shaking a fist, "And why are you two up so early? You're usually asleep... Both of you."

"Baa-chan wanted us for a meeting. The only one who wasn't there was you."

"What?! Why didn't anyone tell me about it?! What was the meeting about?!" The blonde female exclaimed.

"Ibiki said to let you get your rest," A new voice chimed in from behind the three. Grey sat on the ledge of her window, relaxed as ever as he rest his back against the pane with legs stretched out and arms crossed.

"Something you need, ANBU?" Shikamaru asked a bit warily.

"It's fine, Shika. This is Grey Wolf, Grey, this is Shikamaru and Naruto." She introduced, watching happily as the three exchanged hello's.

Shikamaru cleared his throat and continued, "Anyway, the meeting was simply a warning. Every shinobi in Konoha, no matter what the rank, were warned about a spotting of Akatsuki."

Fear filled Ino's stomach, but she quickly shook it off, "What? Who saw them?"

"Neji and Ten Ten were coming back from a mission. As they neared Konoha, they saw their signature cloak laying on a rock. Both had seen it and used code language to warn each other about it. They never stopped to investigate, attempting not to draw attention to themselves. That still didn't work though, they claimed that Deidara and Sasori had tried to kill them." Naruto explained.

"I only know what Itachi looks like, I'm not sure about these other guys."

Grey pulled out a picture, "I knew you would have questions, so I brought the Bingo book."

"But isn't this classified information?" Ino asked as she took the book, not yet opening it.

"It is, but every shinobi was able to see and read the pages of each Akatsuki member on record. I already have it tabbed, so all you need to do is flip to it. Do not look at anything else."

"Got it," Ino nodded as she flipped open to the specific pages. Being a mind walker had it's uses - she could easily remember any and everything she'd seen. She took in the information and looks of each enemy, and made special note to remember their jutsus, strengths, and weaknesses.

As she looked at Deidara's page, she gasped to herself out loud, "The resemblance is scary."

"That's what I said!" Naruto piped up.

"The point is," Shikamaru concluded, ready to leave, "Never let your guard down. Keep watch for anything suspicious, and be careful to anyone you trust. We have no idea why they're around here or what they want, but it's a group effort to keep everyone safe."

Everyone nodded in agreement and Ino gave the book back to the ANBU member. "I'll definitely be careful, thanks guys." She smiled warmly.

"You're welcome, Miss Ya - Ino... I'll be on my way now." Grey bid farewell and left out the way he came in.

"Yeah, we'll see you later Ino! Bye!" Naruto said as he and Shikamaru waved and followed Grey Wolf out the window.

The woman closed her window and fixed back her curtains, sighing all the while, "If it's not one thing, it's another..."

She slipped into her attire, combed her hair, and set out through the door, "Bye Dad! I'm going out to train!"

"Wait a minute, young lady!" Inoichi called as Ino halted in her walk, "You're not going anywhere. Today is your shift at the flower shop, remember?"

"O-oh... It is?" She asked, sounding less than enthusiastic.

"Yes, it is," He stepped out from the kitchen and tossed her a work apron and keys, "You'll be fine. Besides, you get off at 9. I've got a meeting later anyway, so you'll have to manage without my help today. It shouldn't be that busy either. Love you."

"Yeah... love you too dad." Ino sighed and fixed the apron on after walking through the door. Luckily the flower shop was only down the road, so she didn't have to do a far trek. She unlocked the shop and turned on the lights, being greeted by the smell of different flowers and vivid colors.

The only thing Ino could do was flip the sign to "Open," pull up a stool behind the counter, and flip through an old magazine. Don't get it wrong, Ino loved flowers and nature and gardening more than anything else - medicinal herbs and plants were her specialty when training under Tsunade, and she often spent time in fields of flowers - but today, she felt the need to train and better herself, not sell cosmos and gardenias.

Business really was slow today. Only 12 people had walked in during the past 6 hours, and it was almost time to close shop... Well not almost - she still had a half an hour to go. The wind chime at the door had resounded, causing her to stash the fashion magazine and greet Shikamaru.

"Shika~! You following me around or something?" She teased lightly, smiling all the while.

"Troublesome woman... I'm only here f-" The wind chimes rang once more, and Ino watched with clenched jaw as Temari walked up next to Shikamaru.

"Yamanaka." She greeted with a slight nod of the head.

Ino could only play polite... for now. "Temari... What brings you to Konoha?"

"Just visiting Shikamaru." She smirked, leaning against him slightly.

Ino could only force a smile on her face for the sake of her best friend, seeing as he could obviously feel the tension, and it didn't make him happy. Ino had a million and one thoughts running through her head, yet one stood out the most,

_"Why do you still care?_"

She really and truly didn't know the answer to that. She thought she was fully over Shikamaru, the two of them having a strong relationship for 2 years and then things ending so suddenly. Actually, it had been her fault that their love had ended. Ino could barely remember the details, all she knew was that she was jealous that Shikamaru had to go off to Suna and came back talking about all his adventures with some sand woman that turned out to be Temari. He had explained to her over and over again that it was mere friendship, yet she was too insecure at the time to even care, which caused her to say some... very rude things. The shadow user retaliated with his own unkind words as well, even something along the lines of calling her loose and weak.

Those words only sent Ino over and beyond the edge, and she threw off the necklace he gave her, tossed his clothes out the window, and attempted to shove him through as well.

"_Get out_," She had spat venomously, and when he refused, she pulled out a kunai with deadly force and aimed it straight at his throat, "_Leave, Shikamaru Nara. I hate you with every fiber of my being. You're worthless existence means nothing to me._"

Shikamaru only complied and left without another word.

Now, it's all a blur whenever Ino tries to think about how the became best friends again. Either way, he had stuck to his word and pursued Temari. To this day, Ino isn't sure if it's just her inner jealousy that says that he's still with her for spite, or if he seriously loves her.

_"Loves her more than he'll ever love me."_

"Ino!" Shikamaru shook her shoulder lightly with a worried expression on his face, "Are you fine?"

The Konoha kunoichi snapped out of her revere with a gasp and a widening of eyes, quickly becoming dizzy at the sudden transition from her mind to reality and attempting to grasp the counter for balance. Being a mindwalker, especially since her power was expanding, did that to her sometimes - getting deep into the mind's thoughts and feelings was intense, and getting out took a lot out of her, even if it wasn't a jutsu.

"Troublesome woman, cut it out!" Shikamaru voiced with palpable concern as he grabbed hold of her shoulders from over the counter.

"I-I'm fine, Sh-Shikamaru," She croaked.

Shikamaru nodded, "Did you see something?"

"No... I just had a couple of thoughts," Ino said carefully. Shikamaru was knowledegable of the rare Yamanaka trait of seeing visions of the future. Inoichi had explained to Ino in her childhood that only certain members of the clan had the trait, and when they did, it was only in their prime years. Inoichi has only experienced it once. As for Ino, she has yet to go through it.

"Sorry to interrupt, but we've got somewhere to be later on," Temari said genuinely, "I do hope you're okay though. We just need a bouquet of plain and simple roses. No bells and whistles."

"For today?"

"No, we'll pick it up at the end of the week, maybe around noon?"

"Alright then," Ino muttered as she jotted it down on a notepad, "See you then!"

"Later, Ino," Shikamaru waved, following behind Temari, "And stop thinking so hard, would you? No more repeats."

"I promise," Ino smiled warmly. If Shikamaru was happy with her, she'd have to get over it, no matter if she still loved him or not.

She watched as they left and pulled out her magazine to flip through it once more. Not even 5 minutes later did the bell ring again. She didn't even bother to look up, she simply just let out an airy, "You forget something, Shika?"

"I'm not the one you call 'Shika,'" An unkown voice spoke, causing Ino's head to snap up at an alarming rate, "The Hokage has requested your presence, it is an emergency."

Ino nodded at the ANBU member, it wasn't her familiar Grey Wolf, this one seemed to have a mask of a bird of some sort. "Thank you." She tossed her magazine down, threw her apron off, and left the shop quickly. Arriving at the Hokage's tower only took a minute going at top speed, and getting up to Tsunade's office served her no trouble - it was as if the staff were expecting her. She knocked on the door and entered after hearing Tsunade's permission. Inside the office was also Ibiki, a few ANBU including Grey, and other Shinobi whom she hadn't formally met before. Each expression on their faces was one of worry.

"Yamanaka," Tsunade spoke, getting the blonde's attention, "There's been a break in at the Intelligence Division Headquarters. Numerous files were tampered with, but yours was stolen. The only file of yours on record was your copy of the Total Control Jutsu."

All color drained from Ino's face.

Ino could barely fathom what she had just been told. She stood with mouth agape and blue eyes wide, "How did this happen?"

"That is what we're investigating now," Ibiki spoke, grasping the rooms attention, "Currently, every member of the division is under scrutiny. There is no way that we could have been infiltrated without an insider."

"Someone in this village, or even this room, cannot be trusted." Tsunade agreed.

"You are not to tell anyone of this, Yamanaka. Not even you're father - He'll be informed soon. Even you were not supposed to be aware, but seeing as yours was the one stolen, you have the right to know. Everyone else in this room is only knowledgeable because their records have been tampered with as well."

"This... Is there any way I can help?" The Yamanaka heiress pleaded desperately.

"As for now, the most you can do is relax and keep your eyes open for anything or anyone suspicious. If you feel as if someone knows too much, report to me - I'll be sure to deal with it. If there's anymore you can do, you will be informed."

Tsunade glanced around the room, "Is there anything else to be said?"

Silence.

"Dismissed."

Ino was out into the darkness of the night once more as she made a slow walk back to the Yamanaka compound. As soon as she reached the comfort of her room, she immediately flopped onto her bed and let out a loud huff.

"How could this be happening already?! I'm always so close yet so far! Can I not have one good thing!?" She kicked off her shoes and dug her face into her pillow.

She quickly sat up, "Alright Ino! Think of all the facts! Well for one... My new jutsu's been stolen... But on the bright side, dad said there aren't anymore mind walkers out there so there's no way the thief could use it anyway! So I've got nothing to worry about!" She hopped out of the bed and made way to the bathroom.

"All I can do is just worry about this shower I'm about to take... Ah yes, my hair definitely needs to be washed."


	7. Chapter 7

For the past couple of days, Ino used her favorite ANBU member as her guinea pig. Seeing as Shikamaru and Chouji were too busy to help her out, she needed someone to use.

"Okay, this is the last one! For sure this time!" Ino exclaimed as she readied her hands.

"Wait!" Her test subject called out a little too flustered. The blonde had been practicing on him for quite a while and he had enough at this point.

"What do you mean wait? We haven't got all day, Grey." She reprimanded impatiently.

"With all due respect, Miss Yamanaka, but I think your jutsu is at perfection at this point."

She shot him a weird look, "What do you mean 'perfection?' It still needs a lot of work!"

"Well didn't you call it perfect the last 3 times in a row? I cannot fathom why you would possibly want to waste your time going over something multiple times in which you have perfected long ago."

Ino could only cross her arms with a thoughtful look on her face, "Well... I suppose you're right... I mean, not to brag or anything, but I am a preettyyy fast learner. I can master jutsus just like that."

Grey was thankful for the mask - at least she couldn't see him roll his eyes.

She tapped him on his arm, "Hey, why don't we go get some lunch?"

"I'm afraid I cannot do so,"

"Why not?" She frowned prettily.

"ANBU are required to eat inside with fellow ANBU members."

"So you mean I can't come either?"

"My deepest apologies, Miss Yamanaka."

She gazed at him, the gears in her brain working at a rapid rate. Before the shinobi could even question her thoughts, she simply shrugged her shoulders and turned.

"I suppose I can find someone else to eat lunch with, no big deal. Thanks for helping me though."

* * *

"Possible candidates?" Tsunade's eyes scanned her office, meeting the eyes of Ibiki and a few other ANBU present.

Ibiki crossed his arms and leaned back against the chair he sat in, "My best guess is the Akatsuki."

"Exactly what I was thinking," Tsunade agreed, "Now the only problem is how they got in. You have no suspicions what so ever, Ibiki?"

"Of my department? None. Of any others? I am not so sure." Ibiki looked down at the table, his thoughts going a mile a minute. No matter how many times they told them not to tell anyone of the current issue, word still happened to get out. He didn't bother to interrogate anyone who asked him about it, he was too worried on the fact that now the perpetrator could be planning their next move.

"We have to go about this a certain way," He spoke up once more.

Tsunade nodded, "First and foremost, it seems as if a couple of shinobi in this village have loose lips. That is detrimental to the situation, who's to say our suspect isn't working on their escape?"

"Actually, who's to say they haven't escaped already?"

"You've got a point there," Tsunade sighed and used her hands to hold her head up, obviously stressed, "I'm going to need team of ANBU out around the outskirts of our village. No one is getting in or out of Konoha without a small investigation. If they are coming in, they need proper identification. If allowed in the village, they come to me first, along with ANBU escorts. If leaving the village, I'll need paperwork to be checked and validated. Identification shall be checked as well. I want them to have top skill in case we do come across any Akatsuki. Ibiki, I'm leaving it to you to choose this team. I trust your judgement and the fact that you can remember all of which I just told you?"

Ibiki nodded, "I have the perfect team in mind actually."

"Really? Throw a couple of names out there then."

"Well for one, the Hyuga. The Byaugan will be tremendous help. Kiba Inuzuka's tracking skills are top in his league. Itari and Minasu are great strategists."

"Why don't we request Shikamaru Nara's help? He's the top strategist in this village, actually."

"I've requested him multiple times in the past for ANBU affairs, yet he seems to always decline, muttering something about how troublesome it is."

Tsunade snorted, "He's always been the lazy one. And I suppose that's fine, we don't want all our aces placed out there anyway. That's all for now, Morino. Thanks, you're dismissed."

As soon as he left, Tsunade pulled open a drawer behind her desk and didn't hesitate to pop open her sake bottle.

* * *

A knock resounded on Pein's door. He sat on the other side behind an onyx desk covered in old and dusty scrolls along with weapons of every sort.

"Enter," He looked up with anticipating eyes. Itachi, Sasori, and Deidara each stood in front of him, "Report."

"We were successful in infiltrating Konoha, un." Deidara began, arms crossed while leaning lazily against the wall.

"I'm sure you mean that I was successful in infiltrating," Itachi spoke up, "Sasori and Deidara kept lookout, yet ran into some trouble. Two Konoha ninja had a physical encounter with them. I am not aware of their names, yet one seemed to be a Hyuga - judging by his white eyes."

Pein nodded, "Was any information collected?"

"I was unable to get to any scrolls containing information about our targeted subjects, however, I have brought back a copy of a scroll that has a very detailed jutsu inside,"

"I sense hesitation, what is it?" Pein asked.

"It is only for the use of mind walkers. No one in the Akatsuki has ample power to perform this jutsu."

Sasori chimed in, "Is it that valuable in which we'd need a mind reader to perform it?"

"Hand me the paper," Pein said with a hand outstretched. Itachi did as he was told, and the three subordinates watched as their leader's eye scanned over every word.

He looked up, his facial expression one of anticipation, as if he was waiting for something.

"Something wrong?" Deidara questioned, semi confused on Pein's new found expression.

"Call for the others. It is rare when we're all present at the same time, and this information is of utmost importance."

Itachi moved towards the door, his hand on the handle, "I'll do it."

Within minutes, each member of the Akatsuki was gathered into Pein's office. No one spoke, each of them having their eyes trained on their seated leader.

His eyes bore into Deidara, Sasori, and Itachi, "Though you three did not bring back the information requested, the mission you have been sent on was not a complete failure." His eyes scanned the room, "If anything, they have brought back something of more value."

"This jutsu is perfect," Pein began, "All we need is the right target and with this jutsu, we can get all the answers we need. It controls the victims movements and gives access to their thoughts, memories, feelings, everything. It is as if you completely become them. If we could somehow capture Konohagakure's Kage, we can capture the nine tails smoothly."

"Nagato," Konan's quietly sounded, "How do you suggest we capture their Hokage?"

"I'll devise a plan as I go through this jutsu again, however, we do run into a few obstacles."

"Obstacles of what sort?" Kakuzu's distinct voice asked.

"Only a mind walker can perform this jutsu. I am aware that there are no mind users in our organization, which is why I suggest we also capture the one who created this jutsu."

"With all due respect, Leader, that scroll is very archaic, judging from the fact that it says permission must be requested to perform it. The creator of the jutsu is no longer among us," Sasori pointed out.

Pein nodded, "Who's file was this found in?"

"A kunoichi by the name of Ino Yamanaka." The Sharingan user informed.

"Bring her to me."


	8. Chapter 8

I don't own Naruto!

* * *

"Neji!"

Said Hyuga turned his body slightly, his chocolate hair swaying and white eyes searching for the owner of the voice. A blonde kunoichi was seen jogging up towards him down the street with a large smile on her face.

"Are you doing anything important right now?" She asked, gazing up at the sky.

He studied her for a moment, following her gaze but then returning back to her, "Actually, I was off to train with Ten Ten."

At this, Ino's face fell, but she patted him on the back with a smirk and a wink, "Go get em, tiger!"

"What?" The confusion in his voice was evident.

Ino rolled her eyes and shoved him slightly, "You know what? Just go. You obviously aren't aware yet."

Aware of what, Neji wasn't sure about, but he exited anyway. Ino huffed and searched for another suitable candidate. She did happen to see some fellow shinobi here and there, but none were Konoha 11. They were either older and more experienced or younger with little skill.

"I-Ino." A light voice attracted her attention to her right.

Ino grinned widely and latched onto her arm, "Ah! Hinata! Just the girl I was looking for!"

"R-really? For w-what?"

Ino fidgeted, "Okay, maybe I wasn't looking for you _specifically_, but I was looking for someone to have lunch with. I just ran into Neji, he was too busy. I have no problem with you though, so let's go!"

Hinata could only attempt to keep up as her comrade dragged her off to a tea house. Their entrance was signaled by the slight chime of bells. Seated near the large window displaying the view of a lake, Ino rested her head on one hand while flipping through the menu in her next.

"What're you ordering, Hinata?" She asked, never tearing her eyes from the menu.

Hinata looked up at Ino through her lashes, then down at her menu, "I-I don't know y-yet... How a-about you?"

"I don't know..." Ino sighed, "Am I even hungry anymore?"

Hinata remained silent.

The blonde sat back in her chair, studying the raven haired beauty with keen eyes. A slight smirk worked it's way onto her face. "Soooo, what've you been up to, Hinata?"

"N-nothing much r-really... I-I've b-been pretty f-fine for n-now."

"Who're you going to the festival with?"

"W-what?"

Ino shot her a straight face and attempted to jog her memory, "Hinata, the festival. October 10th, it's in a couple of days. Everyone gets all dolled up. Food, games, fun, ki-"

"O-okay! I r-remember!" Hinata exclaimed a little loudly, "I-I just h-haven't given i-it much thought..."

"Go with Naruto."

Hinata shot up rod straight, red-faced and stuttering horribly, "W-wha-at! N-no! N-Nar-uto w-wouldn't want t-to go w-with m-m-ME!"

Ino laughed inwardly at her friend's obvious affection for their fellow shinobi. In all honesty, who wouldn't be attracted to Naruto? Though he and Ino had built quite a close bond that they play off as them being long lost siblings, Ino can see what every other female sees in him - whether they admit it or not. He was definitely a looker, with ocean blue eyes that reflected the sun's golden rays, though they weren't more gold than his soft hair. His smile was pearly and white and filled with this happiness that you can't help but admire. His loyalty and his strength were the icing on the cake; He would never give up on a loved one no matter what.

Ino blinked out of her state and turned her eyes back to Hinata's flushed form, "Why do you say that?"

She noticed the solemn face that the kunoichi wore, "H-he'd r-rather go w-with S-Sakura..."

Ino banged a fist on the table, obnoxious laughter escaping her lips, "FOREHEAD?! I mean, I knew Naruto was dense but why BILLBOARD BROW of all people?!"

"W-why a-are y-you laughing?"

"Because Naruto is an idiot. Yeah yeah yeah, he likes Sakura, so what?! But Sakura doesn't even return those feelings! He still hasn't gotten the memo!"

"I-I c-can see w-why h-he'd choose Sakura t-though... S-she's st-strong, i-intelligent, s-she's the H-hokage's a-apprentice, a-and they've k-known e-each o-other f-for years. S-seeing as t-they're o-on the sa-same t-team, th-they've built a d-deep connection... I j-just admire f-from afar... All h-he sees i-is the swish o-of her b-beautiful p-pink l-locks and the bat of h-her l-long l-lashes t-that sh-show the gleam of h-her j-jade g-green eyes a-and he's i-in l-l-love..."

"Hinata, stop talking." Ino's eyes stared at her heavily, and Hinata suddenly felt naked emotionally and mentally.

"W-what?"

"Look... Sakura's my friend and all, but I can admit that you're all that _and_ more. Do you see yourself, Hinata?! Do you know what kind of power that you're packin'?! Do you see how gorgeous your silky raven tresses are? Or how deep and mysterious your white eyes seem? Your heart is genuine and true and warm, and you're smarter than you give yourself credit for. Sakura being Tsunade's apprentice means nothing," Ino snorted, "Hell, I've been the Hokage's apprentice and I'm Ibiki's apprentice yet that has nothing to do with skill. Quit comparing yourself, you hear me?"

She received no answer.

"Let's try this again, believe in yourself Hinata because, let's face it, in the cruel world of a shinobi, if you don't have faith in yourself, no one will faith for you. Only you can fill that void. Stop feeling inadequate because Naruto likes Sakura. You should know how he is, he's always oblivious to what's right in front of him. You _are_ going to get Naruto, one way or another. Got it?"

Hinata's eyes changed for the better, it seemed as if some understanding worked it's way into her, "Yes. You're right Ino... You're spot on about everything... Thank you."

"And you didn't even stutter. Damn, I'm good." Ino smirked.

"B-but..." Hinata stammered once more, "I k-kinda l-like..."

"Like who?! Spit it out!"

"Kiba!" Squeaked the red kunoichi, hiding behind her hands and shaking her head rapidly.

"WHAT? _Inuzuka_?! That _dog_?!"

"He's... s-sweet, o-once you l-look p-past his j-jokes." She admitted with a soft smile.

Ino took note of the gleam in her eyes, one she once saw while looking in the mirror... Back when she was with Shikamaru. She sighed, shaking the thoughts out of her head and looking up to the kunoichi in front of her with an encouraging smile, "To each his own... Go for it, Hinata!"

* * *

Thanks for the reviews/faves/follows so far guys! I appreciate it!


	9. Chapter 9

Ino yawned behind her creamy hand. It was almost midnight, yet the Hokage summoned her for a meeting. Hearing chatter outside the doors of her office, she turned to see Shikamaru, who was highly annoyed by Naruto, enter with Sakura. Instantly, a bright grin hit her features.

"Well it's about time!" She greeted with a roll of her eyes. Ino was thankful that she no longer had to stand alone for another 15 minutes in the Hokage's office. Though, she might have to spend another 5 minutes in there waiting for Tsunade herself to show up.

"Hey Ino," Shikamaru nodded in her direction, stalking over to stand next to her.

"Long time no see, pig." Sakura grinned from ear to ear as she flipped her rival's ponytail.

"Can it, Forehead!"

Naruto pouted as he rubbed his stomach, the growl coming from it like ravenous lions, "Come on guys, let's not fight today, I'm too hungry to watch."

"Come over for dinner! I'll make you anything you want! Besides, dad's not over so there's no one to bother us." The blonde invited happily, not noticing the way Shikamaru's eyes cut towards her or how Sakura's hand twitched into a loose fist.

Naruto shot her a toothy smile, throwing his arms around her in a tight hug, "Really?! Thanks, Ino! You're the best!"

"I know! I know! J-just let me g-go!" Ino gasped in dire need of oxygen.

"Glad to see you're all here," Tsunade slinked towards her chair. Each shinobi stood up rod straight, quieting themselves and giving her their undivided attention.

"Sakura, Naruto, Shikamaru, you three are escorts. You are simply protecting Ino. Whether than means watching from above, below, or even near her, you are not to be recognized with her. If the time calls for it, take out any suspicious shinobi you encounter. Shikamaru, you're leading. Ino, you have another one of those missions." Tsunade was straight to the point as she tossed the kunoichi a manila envelope. Her hands were folded atop her desk as she watched the blonde take in every detail.

"An S class missing nin? Just who exactly am I dealing with again?" Ino scrunched her face up in confusion.

"Daisuke Saramara, a missing nin from Oto. He's an assassin that's been on the run for 2 years. We are led to believe that the Akatuski recently hired him, therefore he holds information on them. You're simply there to seduce, extract, and escape. You know the routine, you've done it multiple times."

Ino sighed, knowing that her three friends' eyes were on her now. The feeling of having some random man's hands all over her was coming back in waves. "I understand."

"Go over the information with your comrades. You're dismissed."

Once outside of the office, she was instantly bombarded by questions.

"When?!" Came Sakura's disbelieving voice, followed by Naruto's growl, "Multiple times? Why do you even accept those?! Just tell her you quit!"

She looked up to catch Shikamaru's gaze, the same gaze that caused her to feel naked in more ways than one. Ino hated that look. She could never tell what the hell he was thinking and she was a mind walker for goodness sake.

"Well, it looks like you're all coming over for dinner now..." Her voice was slightly shaky, "We'll go over everything there. Come on."

* * *

This one is pretty short, which is why I'm uploading the next chapter right after this one~ lolol.


	10. Chapter 10

I don't own Naruto!

* * *

The kitchen was in pure silence - no one felt the need to speak. The atmosphere wasn't necessarily tense, yet there was an underlying feeling of anticipation radiating from the three escorts.

Ino put on a small smile as she served the homemade ramen she prepared upon Naruto's request.

"If I can't eat at Ichiraku's," His excuse had began, "I might as well get some ramen somewhere else!"

The four of them dug in after emitting, "Itadakimasu."

"So," Sakura piped up after a good 7 minutes, "How's everyone been lately?" She avoided asking the question that caused the mood despite her personal curiosity. Though she wanted to know just as much as everyone else, she at least wanted the conversation to slide in smoothly. Sakura frowned slightly in her head. She didn't want to pressure her long time friend into anything she didn't want to speak on.

"I'm good!" Came Naruto's muffled reply. The other occupants of the table all looked away in disgust and attempted to shield their bowls from any stray pieces of food that might fly from his mouth.

"Fine," The shadow master spoke after wiping his mouth clean with a napkin.

Sakura turned to look at the other present kunoichi, "And you, Ino?"

Ino sighed, setting her chopsticks down and meeting each person's eye, "Look, let's stop dancing around the true purpose. I know you've all got questions, and I... I'll answer them. Truthfully, I swear."

Sakura rolled her eyes. It would be Ino to sit there and let it all happen bluntly. She took advantage of the moment anyway, "When? When did you start?"

"During my genin days... Roughly around the age of 14."

Green eyes widened, "What?! You've been at it for _four years_, Ino? When did Tsunade get you into this?"

"I don't remember the exact date, but I remember her calling me into a meeting with a couple of older, more experienced kunoichi. She pointed out my so called 'early blooming' and my appearance and decided to have me train under Anko." Ino shrugged with a slightly hopeful voice, "If it makes you feel any better, she said that I'll end up being the next top seductress in Konoha... Something about taking on the mantle of the Mistress of Lust."

"That doesn't fix things, Ino." Naruto frowned slightly with worried eyes and furrowed brows, "Why did she need _you_ of all people? And at such a young age?"

She rolled her eyes, "Naruto, this is what I mean when I say kunoichi have it harder than shinobi do. Not only are we expected to do the same crap you guys pull off, but we have to sacrifice our bodies at a young age. There were people in there who started off younger than I did! Once you enter the academy, you are no longer a woman. You don't get to keep emotions and feelings and morals and virtues. You do whatever the hell you can for your damn village! Even if that means sleeping with thousands of men and killing them seconds after!" She let out a calming breath, not noticing that her voice had escalated to a loud pitch, "Sorry. I didn't mean to yell."

"Just tell me how many." Shikamaru, who had been quiet the whole time, whispered with that look again.

"How many what?" Ino slightly snapped. She was tired of that look... that stare... that gaze... _She hated it!_

"How many bodies? How many bodies have touched yours, Ino? How many have you slept with? How many have you _lied_ to and told that you _loved_?"

The kunoichi stood up hastily, unamused by his tone, "Don't you _dare_ raise your voice at me in that tone, Shikamaru Nara! Why are you making this such a big deal?! Why do you want to know?!"

"Why am I making this such a big deal?" He scoffed, returning to his normal level, yet his tone was condescending and irritated, "This isn't a big deal to you, Ino? Sleeping with random men isn't a big deal, are you kidding me?"

Naruto and Sakura sat back in slight fear of the outcome of this situation. Both had seen them argue multiple times, but not like this. If they were fighting, it was over something small and unimportant - well at least from an outsider's perspective. Even when they were together in a relationship, never had they argued in front of the public eye. No, Ino had too much pride to let outsider's know that their relationship was imperfect and unstable. Shikamaru just didn't like people in his business, which was funny because Ino happened to know everyone's business.

"I do what I do for the safety of this village! If I have to carry someones damn child, I will! Remember what I said earlier?!" She halfway shrieked in a slightly crazed voice, "We don't have feelings! We are _tools_ to be utilized! No longer are we human! We're shinobi! Get it together! Shikamaru, you of all people should know the agenda of damn kunoichi!" Ino calmed down before adding in one more bite - one more that she knew would strike him, "Or are the women in Suna so much more mightier than us Konoha women? Isn't that why you went running off over there anyway? Because we're too _loose_ over here?"

Shikamaru didn't fall for it. No, he never did fall for Ino's bait like everyone else did. He merely scoffed in her direction, "No Ino. _You're_ too loose."

The shadow master knew that his actions would strike her more than anything else would. He knew that simply just letting out that scoff would have her seething. He played her off as if he didn't care about her feelings, whether it be on the subject of argument or their past relationship. He was being one hundred percent truthful with his thoughts. He refused to give Ino the satisfaction of knowing that she still had some sort of string around him. Everyone else in the village would have caved in by now, letting her take the win and giving her that pride. Ino Yamanaka was so used to getting what she wanted out of people that she expected it from anyone. But no longer would Shikamaru Nara be her fool. No longer would he give in to expected out comes. Someone had to let her know that things aren't always about her, so why not him?

A heavy, loud slap jarred him from his thoughts. It took a few moments for the initial shock to wear off for him to realize that it had been him who was struck. He simply sat there, quelling his hand to stay at his side and not rise to touch his face. He looked to Sakura and Naruto, both of them wearing that same shocked expression on their faces. His dark eyes rose to the one who caused this and noted how passive her face looked. What? Usually she'd be flinging out harsh words left and right, yet she looked as if what she did was nothing.

"H-hey, Ino, that's enough," Sakura rose from her seated position, slightly leaning over the table with a peaceful hand outstretched toward her long time friend. Naruto took this as his cue to help his fellow shinobi up from his seat.

"Out." The blonde woman said, turning to pick up their empty bowls.

Naruto looked at her as if she was mad, "What?"

"I said _out_. Get out. Leave. Here's the details, I've memorized it already." She tossed the nearby item into Naruto's hands.

None of them said a word maybe because there were simpy no words to be said. The three of them left without argument, and only when they reach outside her home did they speak again.

"What the hell happened to her?" Sakura fumed. It seemed as if the situation had finally sunk into her.

"That can't be Ino! That can't be the one I just had ramen with a few days ago!" Naruto frowned.

Sakura curled her fist, narrowing her eyes, "There's no excuse for her to be acting like that! I oughta go back in there an-"

"Stop. No one is to do anything. Leave her be. She'll be back to normal when the mission rolls around. Speaking of, what do the papers say?" Shikamaru looked at the golden blonde.

"Uh, hold on..." Naruto slipped a couple of papers out. He motioned for the others to gather around to see:

**_"Mission Type: Seduction_**  
**_Seductress: Ino Yamanaka_**  
**_Target: Daisuke Samarama_**  
**_Age: 20_**  
**_Height: 6'2_**  
**_Eye Color: Navy_**  
**_Hair Color: Silver_**  
**_Other Identifiable Traits: A seal concealed as a tattoo in the shape of a Lotus flower. Seal properties are unknown._**  
**_Target Class: S Class Missing Nin_**  
**_Mission Class: S Class_**

**_Mission Summary: Lure your target to a concealed area and discretely slip the SS Truth Serum into a consumable item - it may be a drink or solid food. The serum takes approximately 5 minutes to take effect, in those 5 minutes pose as a distraction from target's weary feeling. Interrogate them and take note of any information you get. Kill when finished. DO NOT ENGAGE IN COMBAT UNLESS NECESSARY. ALWAYS CALL FOR BACKUP._**

**_Escorts: Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, Shikamaru Nara_**

**_Location: Himawari Bar in Fire Country's Red Light District_**

**_Departure: Two days from given mission at 5 AM."_**

Shikamaru sighed, stuffing his hands in his pockets, "I suppose that's it. We've got today and tomorrow to pack for this mission, so let's get on it and get some rest. Remember, this is a S class mission. I'll see you guys around."

The other two nodded, exchanging their goodbyes and going in separate directions away from each other.

* * *

**The dramaaaaaaaaaa. **


	11. Chapter 11

I don't own Naruto!

* * *

Ino let out a calming breath as she leaned against the kitchen counter.

"What did I just _do_?" She exclaimed to no one in particular. Another sigh was let out and she moved to look out her window, searching to see if any of her friends might still be lingering.

She frowned, "Who am I kidding? I basically snapped on each and everyone of them when they were only trying to help... Sakura didn't deserve that... Neither did Naruto. Shika-" She stopped. _Did_ Shikamaru deserve to get treated like that?

'_Well for one, he really did deserve that slap!_' Ino thought with a smug smirk on her features. Shikamaru had simply gone too far that time, and Ino Yamanaka refused to be spoken to in such a manner - especially from _him_. Though they had patched up - well attempted to - their relationship issues and had become friends once more, there was still a lingering feeling between the two. Neither of them knew whether they still had feelings for the other, but even if they did neither of them would act on it. No, Ino never made the first move, but she sure will set up for it! Shikamaru would be the one to act first, but he'd take his sweet ol' time with it. For now, the two could act as the best friends that they were before, though some biting comments would be muttered underneath their breath from time to time.

"Let me get off this..." She gripped her head, "I've got too much going on right now: My jutsu is stolen, I've gotta keep a look out for the Akatsuki, Tsunade's given me a new mission, Ibiki, Grey, this, that, this, that, it's all_ too much!_"

Her voice resonated throughout her home.

A sharp pain struck her in her temples and she bent forward slightly as she gripped her head tighter. The feeling of millions of kunai striking her head hit her rapidly. She struggled to remain calm and control her breathing, but it seemed that as fast as the pain had come, it had left her. She crouched down and rested her back against a wall, now noticing the tears of pain that were ready to spring forth from the corners of her eyes.

Still frightened by her flash of pain, she could only think one thing: _'Where's dad when you need him?'_

* * *

Kiba Inuzuka loved being ANBU. He loved every single thing that came with it. He loved how Akamaru could still work with him. He loved how the uniform was safe, yet gave a good view of his muscular arms for the ladies to drool over. One thing he loved most was his mask.

When you are inducted into ANBU, you do not choose your mask. Your mask chooses you. Each ANBU member relates to his or her animal in one way or another. Kiba wasn't all that surprised when he had found the dog mask pinned onto a tree one day as he was training. Well okay, he actually flipped out and asked Akamaru where the hell it came from, and neither did his dog or he know how it got there. But he wasn't surprised that it was a dog of all things. In fact, it only made his grin grow larger as he stepped towards the item to remove it from it's bonds.

On his first mission as Black Dog, he was surprised at what feeling the mask gave him. Many seasoned members was laughed and pat him on the back, reminiscing on their first mission and that same feeling that Kiba got: Freedom.

It was weird. How could a _mask_, something to _hide_ your face, make you feel _free_? Well, when you hurt hundreds of people, you'll understand.

When you kill innocent animals simply to be used as a tool, you'll understand.  
When you kill innocent _people_, you'll understand.  
When you kill innocent _children_, you'll understand.  
When you burn down a whole damn village, you'll understand.

You'll understand when you're haunted by all your sins and you're slowly losing your tight grip on reality. You'll understand when you can't sleep at night because nightmares are all that come. You'll understand when you can't even close your eyes without seeing the broken face of that little girl whose parents you had to kill. You'll understand when you actually have to take her life too. You'll understand when the only life you want to take is yours.

Then again, it's not that easy. It's not that easy to just end your own life. They find that they only have a few things to really live for: Their family, their friends, and their mask. But what happens when you have no family or you have no friends? Then you simply just live for your mask.

Once you put the mask on, you are no longer yourself. In Kiba's case, he is no longer Kiba Inuzuka. Now, he is Black Dog, tracker and skilled assassin. There's no such thing as emotions once you've got that mask on. No, those things are_ long gone_. There's no happiness, no tears, no wrath. Just a stone cold face on a stone cold person with stone cold values. You get the job done and you leave. Simple.

But when you're yourself again, when you're Kiba Inuzuka and not Black Dog, you can be all those things. You can be happy and sad and angry and scared. It's funny really. It's like having two personalities. In the end, you'll always find that darker side winning.

* * *

Hinata Hyuga smiled at her mask fondly. It's been a while since she had taken on the mantle of White Dove. She wasn't necessarily a permanent ANBU member, but she wasn't temporary either. Hinata was only called on during special occasions, when the Byakugan was needed but Neji wasn't on call. She wasn't his shadow so to speak, but they used him more frequently than her, and to be honest Hinata didn't mind. She had more time to relax and train as much as she wanted to.

She pulled on her mask and left the headquarters to meet Kiba at the front gates. The Hokage had assigned them on strict guard duty around the village's perimeter. As she neared, she saw him, along with two fellow ANBU, standing near the post.

Kiba looked up with a grin, "Well, looks like our last member is here. Hinata, meet Itari and Minasu. Itari, Minasu, this is Hinata."

A curvacious female with blue - almost black - straight locks bound into a bun greeted her, "Hello, I'm Itari! I'm a taijutsuist." She held out a hand to Hinata, and the dove shook it.

"I'm Hinata. Nice too meet you!" Hinata noticed how Itari's grey eyes sparkled when the sun hit them. She truly was a beautiful girl.

"I'm Minasu. I specialize in strategy." A deep, yet smooth voice sounded from behind her, causing Hinata to turn rapidly.

She shook his hand and smiled, "Hi, I'm Hinata." Minasu wasn't ugly, in fact, he was far from it. He was handsome, with his tall and toned body. His hair was a mouse brown and his eyes were an emerald green.

Kiba stepped into the picture with a loud voice and toothy grin, "And then there's me, Kiba Inuzuka! Group leader and amazing tracker!"

Hinata giggled, her stutter coming back to her, "K-Kiba, I a-already know y-you!"

"Yeah, for years actually." Kiba grinned and wrapped an arm around the Hyuga's shoulders, causing her to turn beet red, "Hinata here is a very old friend of mine. We were on the same genin team and she's remained one of my closest friends ever since!"

Hinata smiled sheepishly, still a shocking red.

Itari furrowed her brows, "Hey, is she okay? She's really..."

"Red." Minasu finished with confused eyes.

"Hinata's been stuttering and turning red ever since I met her, but trust me, she'd gotten better with it." Kiba turned towards her with a large smile, "You didn't even stutter once when you introduced yourself! That's one for the books!"

"T-thank you!" Hinata squeaked as she pulled herself from under her leader's arm.

Kiba shot a confused gaze at her but shrugged it off and placed his mask on. The others followed suit. "Alright, it's time to get rolling. Itari is Raven and Minasu is Red Robin. Hinata is White Dove and I'm Black Dog. Remember, when addressing each other, use our code names. Let's move."

With that, Black Dog leapt into the trees, followed by his team of birds.

* * *

**Yeah... I hope Kiba wasn't so OOC lol. I love going in depth with the feelings of shinobi - especially ANBU lol. Don't judge me. I'm tired and I don't know what I'm doing. Thanks for the reviews guys! I really don't take them for granted! ^.^**


	12. Chapter 12

It was around 4 in the morning when Inoichi had returned from his mission. He hadn't expected to be gone as long as he was, yet when a group of rogue shinobi attempted to ambush his cell, some of his comrades injuries slowed them down. Luckily, he himself was not hurt in the process.

He flicked on the lights in the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water.

"Dad?"

He turned slightly and took a sip, "Ah, good morning Princess. What're you doing up so early?"

"I have to leave for a mission at 5. What took you so long?" Ino rested her back against the counter.

"Eh... A couple of rogues tried to ambush us. Nothing too major, though two of my teammates were injured. They're at the hospital right now."

"Geez, that sucks. But are you okay?" She said as she stepped forward to look him over for any wounds.

Inoichi set his cup down, "I'm perfectly fine, but you aren't."

"W-what?" Ino stammered with a confused face.

"Ino, I know something is bothering you. What's going on?"

"Wait a minute! Did you read my mind?!"

He chuckled, "Princess, you know that technique consumes a lot of chakra and I just got back from a mission. Put two and two together. I know you better than you think. What's up?"

"I... Well - I don't know. It's weird. I was just thinking and then all of a sudden, I got this really sharp pain in my head. It was like thousands of shinobi attacked me at once and the only thing they could hit was my head. Then it just... left." She shrugged, "Maybe it's because I'm stressed."

"That could be a key factor, but it is also because your power is expanding. Remember that. Then again... you shouldn't face pain like _that_. Let me see, come here." He beckoned her over and laid his hands on her forehead. "Relax and close your eyes."

Ino did as she was told and she suddenly felt the most peace that could ever be granted to a human. She felt free, calm, soothed, tranquil. Inoichi opened his eyes and removed his hands, causing Ino to awaken as well.

"Is that new? What did you just do? It felt amazing!"

"It's an old yet simple technique of the mind. It's been passed down in the Yamanaka family for generations. It helps to relax the mind and it's powers. I'll teach you after I tell you this," He sat down by the table, "Yes, your powers are expanding. The issue, however, is that they're expanding too rapidly which caused that stabbing feeling."

She furrowed her brows, "What?"

"You already know that as a mindwalker matures, their mind expands. The mind itself is a whole entire other world. Think of it like this, Ino: You are a shirt. Your mind is a body. What happens to your clothes when you grow?"

"You can't fit it anymore."

"Exactly. Your mind is growing too fast for it to really enjoy having the shirt. Basically, your mind is expanding at a level that should be for a mindwalker who is at least in their mid twenties. Since your mind is growing that quick, your body, chakra, and stamina cannot keep up with it."

Ino huffed, "So is this bad? How do I control it? Is this gonna hurt me in the future?"

"Well, it depends on how you look at it. It can be bad if you don't know how to use it, yet it's good because you are ahead of your years and you can easily master the mind faster than before. You yourself cannot control it on your own. You need a seasoned mindwalker like me to help you. It won't hurt you in the future unless you lose control." Inoichi stood up, "Follow me."

He lead her into the scroll room underneath the flower shop. She flipped on the lights and tried to hold back a sneeze.

"Yeah, it does need to be cleaned up in here..." Inoichi noted out loud as his eyes scanned over the numerous bookshelves. "Here it is! Go ahead, read it and then give me a summary." He pulled out an old scroll and tossed it to her.

Ino untraveled it and read it to herself. With each word that she read, her face turned from confusion to shock to even a little fright to more confusion. After a few minutes she spoke up.

"So basically one of our ancestors had this problem like I do so I'm guessing that it's pretty rare? Well yeah. Um, their powers were expanding too quick but they didn't have someone to help them out with it so..." she looked down to the scroll and then looked back up, "They went crazy. They were sucked into their own mind yet they were still themselves? That's weird. Uh, the pain gave them suicidal tendencies and they found out the only way to get rid of it was by knowledge... They craved more and more knowledge and they went to extreme lengths to get it. They became a missing nin and was wanted in more than 8 different villages and 3 different countries. Wow, that's a lot. Then after years of escaping, they were finally killed."

"That's right. That's the story of Inochari Yamanaka, one of our best kept secrets yet most dangerous relatives. That scroll was written by his past lover. She had been secretly documenting all of this with hope that her newborn girl would be able to learn more about her clan without her father around." Inoichi put the scroll back, went back up to the kitchen and turned to face his daughter.

"Don't worry, Ino. Just because it happened to Inochari doesn't mean it'll happen to you. I'll help you out when you get back from your mission. Just be safe and do not stress. That'll only make matters worse. Stay on top of your emotions and try not to swing from mood to mood. That'll happen more often now - the mood swings. If you notice it, just step back from everything and relax. Remember when I taught you the Mind Relaxation technique? You'll need that from now on." He gave her a kiss on her forehead and a long hug, "It's going to be 5 soon. Get ready and be safe on your mission."

"I will, dad." She said into his shoulder, "I love you, thanks."

Inoichi grinned and left for his room, calling over his shoulder, "Love you too, princess. See you when you get back."

* * *

**Ahahaaa~ I already have the next seven chapters written and edited. I can't wait till we get to those parts lol. Don't think of these chapters as just fillers. Ino's head pain is a key thing in the future. Thanks for the reviews/follows/favorites guys! **


	13. Chapter 13

Ino was late. Scratch that, Ino was a half an hour late. 30 minutes in shinobi time is practically the equivalent to two hours!

_'Shit! Damn that old ass farming couple! Like who the hell brings a bunch of fuckin' cows with them to the damn market?!'_ Ino deftly maneuvered from rooftop to rooftop, attempting to get to the village gates without any further interruption. _'Almost there!_' The red poles were coming into view and she hopped to the ground to slow her pace.

"You're late." Was the first thing Shikamaru said to her as he stood there, gazing down at her crouched form with arms crossed, "Even Naruto was on time."

Oh, so he was still angry? Ino inwardly rolled her eyes. _'And to think I planned on apologizing!'_

Ino stood up slowly and levelled her gaze as well, "So are we done with the small talk now, Shikamaru? Or can we actually get this mission going?"

"Ino, do you have everything you need?" Said blonde turned to look at Naruto, "We won't be able to turn back you know."

_'At least he's not mad._' She hit him with a grin and laid a hand on his shoulder, "Of course! I made sure I had everything together - twice."

Sakura cleared her throat and gestured towards the gates, "We might want to get going. The sun is already coming up and it might get a bit hotter than anticipated."

"She's right, let's move."

* * *

"Sakura, what's our ETA?" Shikamaru asked as he swiftly lead his team through thick trees in the forest. The sun was beginning to set, painting the sky with hues of oranges and reds and pinks - even a dash of a pale purple.

"We've still got another two hours, but by then, we'll be able to make it to our intended location and still have time to carry out the mission." The pinkette had a thoughtful look on her face, "Pretty much, we've got time for a ten minute break, but we've got to get back to travelling. This may be our only opportunity to catch our target."

Naruto grinned and pumped a fist into the air, "Ten minute break? Fine by me! You know what you can do in ten minutes? Eat three bowls of ramen _and_ take a quick five minute nap!"

Ino rolled her eyes and cocked a hip out, placing her dainty hand on it, "Naruto, only _you_ can do that."

"Well, better get started," Shikamaru said as he leapt to the ground, coming to a stop, "We don't have much time on our hands and it's going to get dark soon. Remember,_ stay together_. Who knows what troublesome things we might encounter." He put his hands in his pockets and sighed, "Ino."

The blonde kunoichi cut her eyes toward him, signalling her attention, "Hm?"

"Let's talk." Shikamaru motioned with his head towards a large nearby tree. He sat underneath it with his back against it's hard bark. Chocolate eyes watched as one of the most troublesome women in his life sat next to him.

"What's the problem?" She asked airily, as if nothing had happened in the last few days.

He rolled his eyes towards her, "Ino, cut the act. You and I both know what needs to be talked about."

Ino sighed inwardly. In truth, she wanted to speak about the subject just as much as he did and no longer did she feel like keeping up her game, "Look, Shikamaru, I'm sorry. Okay? That's what you want to hear right? I'm sorry! We all know how hard it is for me to apologize s-"

He cut her off in an annoyed voice, "That's what I want to hear, yes, but I don't want to hear it if you don't mean it, Ino. Don't just say it because that's what I want. Say it because _you_ want to say it."

"But I do! Honestly, I meant to apologize to you, no, to _all_ of you this morning, but you were too busy being mad at me so it just threw me off!" She crossed her arms.

"Ino, even if I was mad, wouldn't I deserve to be? But... I wasn't mad at you." He stated with a questioning look, "What in the world made you think that?"

Ignoring the first question she responded, "Because! The first thing you said was," She took on a forced deep voice, "'Oh, you're late! Blah blah blah! Naruto's got a bigger brain than you! Blah blah blah! Naruto actually came on time while your slow ass was too busy messing around! Blah blah blah!'"

Shikamaru couldn't help but chuckle to himself, "First of all, I don't sound like that, you troublesome woman, and I never even said anything about Naruto's brain. I'm your superior, Ino. Am I supposed to just let you off easily just because of our... history?"

Ino didn't like the way he had said that last word, and it took all her might to suppress her shivers and ask what he meant, "I mean... No... But you could've _at least_ said it nicer! What about a, 'Good morning Ino! How'd you sleep? And by the way, you're late. Don't do it again! Come on guys, let's get going!'"

"Come on now, even you aren't that enthusiastic at 5 AM. Sorry if you took offense, whatever." He waved it off.

"Yeah yeah yeah! So are we okay now?" Ino turned her ice blue eyes on him.

"No."

"N-no?" She pouted, "Why not!"

"You slapped me."

_Oh_. That whole situation had completely slipped her mind. So she played it the only way she knew how, by snorting, crossing her arms, and saying, "Oh well. You deserved it. Can we move on now?"

But the shadow master was stagnant, fighting back in a dry tone, "Ino, _no_. Are you seriously telling me that you're just going to act like that whole argument between us didn't happen?"

"Shikamaru, it was an argument between all four of us!"

He snarled in her direction, "No, Ino! It was mainly between us and you know that! So quit acting like it never happened!"

"Why the hell are you getting so worked up about it, damn it! Shikamaru, I apologized! Can we please move the fuck on?!"

"No, Ino," He deadpanned, "We can't. _This _is not going to work."

"This? This what?" Ino looked at him him with clear disdain in her eyes.

Shikamaru took a leap of faith and set the issue clear on the table. "The both of us acting like we don't have feelings for each other." He watched as her ice blue eyes changed from anger to shock. She averted her gaze in nervousness and began fiddling with the grass beneath them.

She was silent for a while before speaking up. "Shika... What brought this on?"

"I'm just sick of this drag of a situation I guess..." He answered, dancing around the question. Though he felt bold enough to confront her openly, he now felt it receding as he tried to decide whether it was worth it or not.

"Shikamaru," She continued a bit more forcefully, "Quit that. Why are you bring this up now?"

He sighed. "I'm just sick of it, Ino. I'm just sick of not knowing whether or not I still love you. You're constanly on my mind and I swear I hate it."

"What's so wrong with thinking about me from time to time?" Ino questioned with an offended tone.

"Because I'm with Temari if you haven't noticed." He snapped more venomously than he intended. His chocolate eyes softened for a moment, "Ino, I'm sorry for snapping at you. I just... I don't know. Before we get into this, is it too late?"

"Too late for what?"

"For this? For _us_?"

Ino looked straight ahead and dare not to turn to face him. She was sure that if she did, she'd cry. She'd been dreaming of this moment, when they'd be able to let all their feelings out and possibly rekindle their lost relationship. Yet she didn't expect it to feel like this. Despite the heat outside, she was freezing cold. Goosebumps were visible and she found herself trying to suppress her shivers yet again. She was torn on what to say. She was torn on whether to admit that she still held feelings for him all this time and that they even grew, but couldn't tell if she wanted to say that she had moved on. _'Is it really too late?' _Before she could speak on how she felt, she was cut off by Sakura.

"Guys, come on. It's been ten minutes and we've gotta go. I've already woken Naruto up."

"Geez, that idiot really took that nap?" Ino said out loud as she stood and dusted herself off. Shikamaru sighed, disappointed by the interruption and thoroughly confused on Ino's reactions.

"Oh and Sakura, I'm... Sorry about the way I treated you." The seductress looked up at the sky, a bit embarrassed by the fact that she was apologizing.

Sakura shrugged, "It's cool, pig. I get it, you were stressed and we kind of did gang up on you."

"Yea- Wait a minute! Did you just call me pig?! Forehead, you're lucky we're on a mission!" She shook an angry fist at the pinkette.

"You guys are always arguing..." A tired voice cut in. Naruto stood off to the side, rubbing his eyes like a child and yawning loudly.

"Well, now that Naruto is here," Shikamaru said after he stood, "We can get back to the mission. Let's go."

* * *

**So I edited this. lol. Simply because I was very unhappy with how I wrote Shikamaru and Ino's argument. That's pretty much all that was changed.**


	14. Chapter 14

It was dark and humid outside. Silver stars glittered in a vast ocean of deep blue and black. The moon shined bright with confidence and pride. It was truly a beautiful sight, yet four Konoha shinobi didn't have leisurely time to sit back and enjoy the view. They were a short distance from the Himawari bar. Luckily for them, said bar was near the edge of the city so it was surrounded by trees, giving them the coverage they needed. At this point, the four had stopped and began going over the plan.

Shikamaru cleared his throat, "Alright, if we do this right we can make it back to Konoha by tomorrow. We all know the basics of the mission, but just to recap: No unnecessary movements. This is an Akatsuki accomplist we're talking about. Who knows what troublesome tricks they have up their sleeves... Keep talking to a minimum - especially you, Naruto." The blonde shinobi only huffed and crossed his arms, yet remained silent.

He continued, "Ino, if anything goes wrong, do not hesitate to signal us. All four of us know the signals, so please don't try to play hero. We're not just going into the bar for nothing. Remember, we're ordered not to engage in combat. We all know how that works - flee if able, but if it really comes down to a fight, so be it. Just _please_ do not go overboard. Sakura, make sure your medical supplies are ready just in case. Ino, go ahead and get changed over there," Shikamaru pointed to an area near bushes, "Sakura, Naruto, go ahead and henge yourselves. When we enter the bar, we enter separately. Ino goes first, Naruto second, Sakura third, and I last. Remember, we do not know each other, but if we need to speak to one another, do it casually."

"What about names?" Sakura asked.

"I was getting to that, but thanks for the reminder. Naruto, you will be Shion Koyama. Sakura, you can keep your first name, but your last name is Sarashimo. Ino, you as well can keep your first name, yet drop the Yamanaka. Your last name is Kitade. I'm Shinzu Ogawa. We've wasted enough time already, so let's get this mission rolling. When you're ready, meet back here."

A maximum of 5 minutes had passed and each member of the team had returned differently than before. Sakura had henged into a brunette woman with blue eyes and nude lips. She was dressed in a knee length flowing black dress. Naruto, now with black hair and green eyes, had lost his familiar whiskers and was dressed in a plain black jacket over a white tee and jeans. Shikamaru kept his hair color the same, yet took it out of it's usual pineapple ponytail. His eyes were now a steel grey, and it's color matched that of his long sleeved shirt. He wore plain and simple blue jeans - a very casual approach. Ino, stepping out in all her seductress glory, was garbed in a skin tight strapless plum dress that stopped mid-thigh. On her upper thigh, hidden by the cloth of her dress, was various kunai, shuriken, senbon, and a tanto strapped to her. Ino did not henge her appearance, the most she did was apply two coats of black mascara, berry lipstick, and black eyeliner. Her hair, which was usually bound tight into a high ponytail, now freely cascaded down her back in a sheet of gold.

"Hey, we don't look too bad if you ask me!" Naruto, happy as ever, commented as he took in everyone's appearance.

Sakura snorted playfully, "Too bad we didn't ask you."

"We don't have time to talk, guys." Ino cut in with an air of professionalism and seriousness around her. The two took in her aura and they themselves got their head in the game.

Shikamaru nodded, "She's right. Let's get moving. You know the orders in which we enter, so Ino, go ahead."

"Wait!" She hesitated for a moment, "Just... be safe guys, alright?" She looked back at them all before heading into the bar.

* * *

The Himawari Bar was not just any old bar that you passed on the street. No, it was larger than it appeared from the outside. It was split in three levels: The underground level where they kept storage, the dance floor/bar above ground, and the lounge above it. The storage level wasn't accessible unless you were an employee. The only way to get there was by going behind the bar and taking the stairwell hidden underneath the floorboards. The dance floor was large and open, filled with tipsy men and women who wanted to dance their cares away. There was a palatial stairwell that lead to the lounge, an area filled with comfortable chairs and couches, tables to hold your drinks and finger food, and dim lighting. Well, the lounge wasn't the only area with dim lighting - the whole bar was dim. The only difference was that the lights were colorful shades of blues and purples and reds and greens and they flashed about. The atmosphere was most definitely lively and if this weren't an S class mission, Ino would've already been on the dance floor with a drink in her hand. Sadly it wasn't her free time, so the most she could do right now was saunter her way through crowds of people with an air of confidence around her and pull up a stool near the bartender.

"May I have a glass of milk?" She purred out, batting her lashes with a pearly smile.

"...Milk? Okay." Yes, milk was an unusual choice at a bar of all places, but Ino refused to order a drink and end up getting buzzed. As she awaited her order, her blue orbs scanned for Shikamaru, Sakura, and Naruto. She spotted Sakura at a table to her left seated with some fruity drink with an umbrella. Naruto was somewhere on the dance floor; she had spotted him for a quick second, but he got lost in the sea of people. Seeing as Shikamaru was no where to be found on the lower level, she could only figure he was lounging about on the upper level.

"Here you go, Miss." The bartender, who she now saw was a man in his twenties with dirty blonde hair and navy eyes.

"Thank you," Ino said after her first sip. She let the cool substance trail down her throat before she noted where her target was.

_'What did he look like again? Silver hair... Navy eyes... Hmmm, ahah! There he is! That booth in the corner! He's kinda cute! Okay scratch that, he's gorgeous! And we made eye contact already! Damn, he'd be a catch if he wasn't a criminal. He's still looking my way, what a sexy little smirk he has playing on those beautiful lips... Alright, Ino! Don't lose yourself now! This is a mission! Get over there and act cool!'_

The kunoichi stood from seat at the bar and slinked over in her 6 inch heels to the silver haired target. Shikamaru, seeing her movement from above, casually relocated to another seat in the lounge. Sakura as well spotted her best friends actions and sipped on her drink, making note in her mind. Naruto danced his way with a pretty female closer, but not too close, to the target.

Ino slid into the booth gracefully with a seductive smile on her face, "I couldn't help but spot you from afar."

"I took note," He spoke, his voice warm and inviting, "I saw your eyes searching the bar. Looking for someone suitable yet no one else caught your eye."

_'This fucker may be cocky, but his observation skills are sharper than ever. No wonder he chose this booth - it gives him a good eye on everyone in here.'_

"Is that milk you're sipping on? What an odd drink to order here of all places. Should've stayed home, little girl." He teased with white teeth showing.

"Ahah, well I was hoping someone as kind as you would buy me a drink," She batted her lashes before leaning in close, her lips barely touching his ear, "And _'little girl?'_ I'm _far_ from it."

He grinned, "I like you. You look like the type that knows what she wants. Tell me, what _do_ you want?"

"You." She smirked.

He tilted her chin up and gazed into her eyes, "Well, if it's m-"

"Daisuke, un." A deep voice cut him off. Both navy and ice blue eyes turned to see a blonde male standing next to a red headed man.

Daisuke chuckled, "Ah, there you two are. I was beginning to think that you two wouldn't show up!"

Outwardly, Ino scooted over and kept quiet with nothing but a pretty smile adorning her face. Yet inwardly, she was flipping out harder than a fish out of water._ 'What the actual fuck?! They weren't supposed to be here!'_

Sasori took a seat next to Daisuke and glanced casually at Ino. Deidara, however, slid in next to Ino and allowed his eyes to take in her form.

"What a gorgeous piece of art you are, yeah." He complimented with a slight smirk on his face. Ino smiled in response.

"Hey, I saw her first," Daisuke joked with an underlying tone of possession as he slid an arm around Ino's waist.

"You can discuss that after business, as for now Miss...?" Sasori trailed off, asking for her name.

"Ino," She noted a very faint flicker behind Sasori's eyes and she quickly began again. "Ino Kitade." The flicker did not return again. In fact, it seemed as if his amber eyes showed disappointment.

"Yes, well Miss Kitade, will you please excuse us? We have a few things to discuss privately. I'm sure Daisuke will find you after we are finished here."

Ino grinned, "No problem whatsoever. Catch me when you can, Daisuke-kun. I'll be exploring the place." _'Gives me time to warn the others...'_ "If you'll just excuse me, sir."

Deidara, still with the same smirk on his face, stood and gave her room to exit, but not without openly eyeing her ample backside and curvaceous figure. "I saw that look you had, un." He said, speaking to Sasori.

"Yes... I thought she was our target, but I suppose not. Though Ino isn't a very common name... Hm, you never know. Keep an eye on her, Daisuke. If she proves suspicious, do not hesitate to contact us. Now for these files..."

* * *

**Chapter 13 was edited if you didn't know. I changed up Shikamaru and Ino's little spat. Next chapter comes soon! Thanks!**


End file.
